Syrians rally in Damascus to protest against U.S. raid

Syrians take part in a demonstration against the U.S., held in Damascus Oct. 30, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Students shout slogans against the U.S. as they wave the national flag during a demonstration in Damascus October 30, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Syrian students shout slogans against the U.S. as they wave an image of President Bashar al-Assad during a demonstration in Damascus Oct. 30, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Angry Syrians took to the streets here Thursday to show protests against deadly U.S. cross-border raid that killed eight Syrian civilians.

Thousands of demonstrators from various public, religious and trade union activities as well as students, women and civic societies began marching in the streets of downtown Damascus since Thursday morning.

They waved Syrian flags and banners reading anti-U.S. slogans such as "No to U.S. aggression on the Syrian territory" and "The American aggression will not succeed," Xinhua correspondents saw at the scene.

Calling their protest as a "march of anger", the protestors condemned the attack as an "unjustified crime" which violated the international law.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Maura Connelly, U.S. charge d'affaires in Damascus, officially informing her of the decision of the Syrian cabinet to close a U.S. school and a cultural center in Damascus, the official SANA news agency reported.

Eight Syrian civilians were killed on Sunday in a U.S. cross-border helicopters attack in al-Sukkariah village in Abu Kamal near the border with Iraq.

U.S. officials have explained that the raid killed a top operative of al-Qaida in Iraq who intelligence suggested was about to conduct an attack in Iraq.