World | Syria 1 Child Killed, Another Arrested, in Syria Protests Military continues crackdown on protesters By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted May 8, 2011 4:32 PM CDT Copied A Syrian protester holds up her hand, painted with the colors of the national flag at a demonstration demanding that Syria's President Bashar Assad step down in Amman, Jordan, Saturday, May 7, 2011. (Nader Daoud) Gunfire and shelling rattled a city in central Syria today and killed a 12-year-old boy, as President Bashar Assad's autocratic regime expanded its military crackdown on a seven-week uprising by sending tanks and reinforcements to key areas, activists said. Authorities also reportedly arrested a 10-year-old boy, apparently to punish his parents, and filed charges against a leading opposition figure who is suffering from cancer. The military and security forces carried out arrest sweeps and posted snipers on rooftops in flashpoints across the country today, including Homs, the coastal city of Banias, and the southern city of Daraa, where the uprising began, activists said. Hundreds were arrested in Banias, including the 10-year-old boy. In Daraa, security forces allowed people to come out for few hours to buy essentials but then imposed a curfew. Thousands have been arrested. Click for more on Syria. Read These Next Gavin Newsom has filed a massive lawsuit against Fox News. New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. Supreme Court gives Trump big win on national injunctions. Report an error