Syrian death toll tops 19,000, say activists

The funeral near Damascus of a man who protesters say was killed by Assad forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims 2,752 people were killed in the first 21 days of July. Photograph: Handout/Reuters

An activist group claims that more than 2,750 people have been killed in Syria so far this month, bringing the death toll since the conflict began to more than 19,000.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said if the current rate of killing continued until the end of July, it would be the deadliest month since the Syrian uprising erupted in March 2011.
The Observatory's chief, Rami Abdul-Rahman, said on Sunday that 2,752 people, including 1,933 civilians, 738 government troops and 81 rebels, were killed in the first 21 days of July.
Abdul-Rahman said June had been the deadliest month with 2,924 deaths.
The average daily death toll in June was 94, while this month it has increased to an average of 131 a day.

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