Protests sweep Syria's east, Nasrallah pictures burnt

AMMAN May 27 (Reuters) - Syrian security forces fired at two protests in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor on Friday as demonstrations demanding the removal of President Bashar al-Assad swept the tribal area, residents and activists said.

In the city of Albu Kamal on the Iraqi border, protesters burned pictures of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whose speech in Beirut this week in support of Assad infuriated demonstrators, activists and a tribal leader in the province told Reuters by phone, adding security forces had withdrawn from the streets of Albu Kamal.

Foreign correspondents are barred from Syria and witness reports are hard to verify independently. (Reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis; Editing by Janet Lawrence)