The Syrian army killed six civilians yesterday as it swept through villages around the flashpoint northwestern town of Jisr al-Shughur, a rights activist said.

The latest deaths in the crackdown on pro-democracy pro-tests came a day after the military deployed tanks in eastern Syria, close to the border with Iraq, the activist said on condition of anonymity.

Elsewhere, protests broke out on Monday night in the eastern town of Deir Ezzor, 430 kilometres from the Syrian capital, the activist added.

“The armed forces are continuing their operations and the sweep of the villages near Jisr al-Shughur,” which the army took by force on Sunday, the activist said.

“Six civilians perished in the past few hours in Ariha,” east of Jisr al-Shughur, he said, without providing further details.

“Some 10 tanks and 15-20 troop carriers were deployed around the town of Abu Kamal,” 500 kilometres east of Damascus, the activist added.

Phone lines in Ariha have been cut since Monday morning.

The Syrian army has been conducting a major operation in the northwest of the country since Friday.

On Sunday, it took control of Jisr al-Shughur, a town of 50,000 residents, in an attempt to quell protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian authorities say the army is tracking “armed terrorist groups”, which they say are behind the violence.