Assad forces kill at least 41 in Syria


At least 41 people, including three children and three women, have been killed in air and ground operations across Syria by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, opposition activists said.The London-based Syrian Network for Human Rights watchdog said Wednesday that 41 people have been killed in Deir ez-Zor, Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Suwayda, Daraa, and Quneitra.Syria has been gripped by constant fighting since the regime launched a violent crackdown in response to anti-government protests in March 2011, triggering a conflict which has spiraled into a civil war.The UN has stopped updating its death toll for the country saying an official count had become too difficult to verify.At least 100,000 deaths were recorded in the last official count in July 2013. The Syrian rights network says more than 126,000 -- of which 106,000 were civilians -- have been killed since the conflict began.