DAMASCUS - Nineteen Syrians were killed and another 75 wounded in the town of Daraa amid anti-government protests, 100 km south to Damascus, state-run SANA news agency reported on Friday.

According to SANA, the casualties are all from the security and police forces.

Earlier on the day, thousands of Syrians took to the streets for demonstrations in major Syrian cities including Damascus, Daraa, Homs, Latakia, Der el-Zour.

The protests which erupted in Syria three weeks ago have killed more than 60 Syrians, according to official sources. Syrian authorities accused "foreign powers" of feeding turmoil in the country.