(CNN) -- A large protest in northwest Syria was the latest to turn deadly, as Syrian security forces killed 25 people, a human rights group said Sunday.
The protest in Jisr al-Shaghour drew thousands of people on Saturday, an activist said. Syrian forces opened fire on protesters, the activist and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The group, which is regularly in touch with activists in different parts of the country, said 25 people were confirmed dead following the Saturday incident.
Syrian state-run news agency SANA, meanwhile, said four policemen were killed and more than 20 other people were wounded by "armed terrorist groups" that attacked buildings in the city.
The groups were seen using "various types of weapons," the report said. "The terrorist groups spread fear in the hearts of citizens who called upon the competent authorities to interfere forcefully to protect them and bring back security and stability."
Throughout the Syrian uprising, the government has described protesters as "terrorists" and "armed criminals."
The number of people killed in the government's crackdown on demonstrators has exceeded 1,000, according to the United Nations.
Despite international calls to halt its aggression and sanctions by the United States, Syria has shown no sign of backing down.
At least 51 children have been killed by security forces since the anti-government protests started in mid-March, the Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. "Violence against children must stop and children's safety must be upheld at all times," said Marta Santos Pais, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative on violence against children.
