Syria: 21 killed in preparation for overseer of the Rwanda genocide Kofi Annan's peace mission; tanks fire on houses in residential neighborhoods

Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, left, listens to Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby during a presser following their meeting at the Arab league headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, March 8, 2012. Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan says his top priority as special envoy to Syria is to end the violence, deliver humanitarian relief and finally start a "political process" to resolve the one-year conflict there. (AP Photo)

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian forces killed 21 people on Friday as they sought to quell demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad before a peace mission by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan, opposition activists said.

Tanks pounded Karm al-Zeitoun and other opposition districts in the rebellious central city of Homs, killing nine, the Local Coordination Committees said, reporting 12 other deaths in Damascus and in the provinces of Hama, Idlib and Aleppo.

"Thirty tanks entered my neighborhood at seven this morning and they are using their cannons to fire on houses," said Karam Abu Rabea, a resident contacted in Karm al-Zeitoun.

Activists said nationwide protests were marking the anniversary of Kurdish unrest in northeastern Syria in 2004 that was crushed by security forces with about 30 people killed.

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