This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

Syrians voted in local elections amid continuing strikes and protests against the government as its forces fought armed rebels in the north and south.

Opposition sources reported army operations in the southern province of Deraa, near the Jordanian border. Sana, the state news agency, said three members of the security forces were killed in a clash with what they described as a "terrorist gang". Four terrorists were also killed, it said.

At least 20 people were killed in total in Homs, Hama and the Damascus area, according to the Syrian Revolution General Commission. The Local Co-ordination Committees, another opposition network, gave a figure of 13 dead.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported fighting between soldiers and defectors in the north-western region of Idlib, near the Turkish border, where Free Syrian Army rebels are able to operate easily.

Syrian state media highlighted the local elections held on Monday as evidence of business as usual – and part of the reforms being introduced by President Bashar al-Assad in response to the unprecedented protests.

But opposition sources claimed boycotts and attacks on polling stations, especially in the Deraa area. Al-Arabiya reported school children protesting against "fabricated elections" in Aleppo, where citizens were forced to vote.

Voters in Deir al-Zor area spoiled their ballot papers by expressing support for the "Syrian revolution". In Homs and Hama some wrote "death to the tyrant" or "down with the regime".

The fighting near Deraa came a day after troops from the 12th Armoured Brigade stormed nearby Busra al-Harir, where residents described explosions and heavy machine-gun fire and defectors from the army attacking military supply lines.

According to the UN, at least 4,000 people have been killed since the uprising began in March. But it is impossible to verify casualty figures or claims by either side because the regime bans most foreign journalists and prevents domestic reporters from moving freely. Accounts from activists and witnesses, along with videos posted online, are the main source of information.

In Hama, the rebel council reported armoured vehicles entering northern areas of the city to break a general strike that began on Sunday to push the government to end its crackdown. The strike is intended to be open-ended until the army is withdrawn from the cities and thousands of detainees are released.