Tens of thousands emerged from Friday afternoon Muslim prayers to participate in rallies against the regime of President Bashar Assad Friday despite the harsh military crackdown in Syria, Reuters reports.

Opposition leaders said tens of thousands rallied in the southern province of Deraa, the epicenter of the three-month revolt against Assad's rule, the Kurdish east, the cities of Homs and Hama north of Damascus, and suburbs of the Syrian capital itself.

Friday prayers – and sermons – have been a platform for the biggest protests leading to the most bloodshed in Syria's "Arab Spring" inspired revolt. Similar revolts have topped leaders in Egypt and Tunisia and challenged autocrats across the Middle East.

Residents reported two northern towns remained encircled by army units, five days after the military retook the town of Jisr al-Shughour in a bloody assault and sent thousands of refugees streaming across the nearby border into Turkey.

Syrian rights groups say some 1,300 civilians and more than 300 soldiers and police have been killed since the protests against the 41-year Assad family rule broke out in March. An estimated 10,000 people have been detained by Assad's government.

Syrian forces earlier the two towns, which are main north-south road linking Damascus with the second city of Aleppo. Villagers have been streaming out of the towns, fearful of an assault similar to the one witnessed in Jisr al-Shughour.

The state news agency has said army units deployed near Khan Sheikhoun and Maarat al-Numaan to ensure the highway's safety.

Assad has responded to unrest with a dissonant mix of military repression and political concessions aimed at addressing protesters' grievances.

Cracks In Security Forces Resolve

Assad is faced with mounting internal dissension over regime's repressive tactics, as well turning guns on his own security forces after a clash in Jisr al-Shughour showed cracks in his forces resolve earlier this month leading to 120 security personnel being murdered.

There have been no mass desertions from the military, but analysts question how long the loyalty of rank and file Sunni Muslim conscripts will last if the crackdown on mainly Sunni protesters by Alawite-commanded military forces continues.

Assad's family is Alawite.

International Pressure Continues

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he had spoken to Assad and urged him to halt the violence.

"I again strongly urge President Assad to stop killing people and engage in inclusive dialogue and take bold measures before it's too late," Ban told reporters.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday that France and Germany agreed to lobby for broader sanctions against Syria, which is already under targeted US and European Union sanctions focused on its leadership.

"France, hand-in-hand with Germany, calls for tougher sanctions against Syrian authorities who are conducting intolerable and unacceptable actions and repression against the (Syrian) population," he said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

France has been unable to rally sufficient support at the UN Security Council for a resolution condemning Assad's crackdown, in part because of reluctance from veto-holding council members China and Russia.

On Friday protesters were seen burning Russian flags in the street over the Russian Federations position.

Turkey Unhappy With Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held talks with a Syrian envoy on Thursday in which he called on Damascus to end the violent crackdown and pass democratic reforms.

Turkish and Syrian relations have chilled considerably as Assad has ratcheted up his strong arm tactics vis-a-vis opposition groups in his country. Turkey had, prior to the eruption of violence in Syria, been deepening ties with the Iran-Syria-Lebanon strategic bloc in the region.

International observers say some 9,600 Syrian refugees have crossed into Turkey while another 10,000 were sheltering on the border just inside Syria.