Fighters siding with Syria's new government stormed three villages near the country's coast, killing dozens of men in response to recent attacks on government security forces by loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad,

The skirmishes along the Mediterranean coast were among the bloodiest since rebels ousted the dictator Bashar al-Assad and installed a transitional government.

In the worst outbreak of unrest since Syria’s transitional government took power, dozens of people have been killed or wounded in clashes between the security forces and supporters of former President Bashar al Assad this week.