Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have opened fire on anti-government demonstrators, amid mounting calls for his resignation over Damascus' crackdown on dissent.

Rights activists say at least two people were killed in the southern Dara'a region on Friday after forces fired shots at protesters. The violence comes on the heels of their reports that security forces killed at least one person in the central city of Homs on Thursday.

Meanwhile, anti-government protesters are pouring on to streets across Syria, Friday, with renewed calls for Mr. Assad's resignation. On Thursday, the opposition activists got a boost after the U.S., the EU and several other Western powers made their first calls for Mr. Assad's departure.

Also, U.S. President Barack Obama announced new sanctions against the Assad government. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the world body is preparing to broaden its sanctions against Syria.

In New York, the U.S. and four European members of the United Nations Security Council said they would begin drafting a U.N. sanctions resolution against Syria.

In a separate development, the U.N. announced plans to send a team to Syria this week to assess the country's humanitarian situation. On Thursday, the U.N.'s human rights office said Mr. Assad's forces have carried out widespread and systematic attacks on civilians that “may amount to crimes against humanity.”

Human rights chief Navi Pillay told the Security Council it should refer the situation in Syria to the Hague-based International Criminal Court.

But, Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, accused Washington and some other Security Council members of waging what he called a “diplomatic and humanitarian war” against his country.

Mr. Assad has not publicly reacted to the calls for his departure. However, the state-run SANA news agency on Friday noted that Russia has said that it does not support Western calls for the president's resignation.

Also Friday, the French News Agency said Turkey believes it is too soon to call for Mr. Assad to step down.

The U.S. estimates the Assad government is responsible for more than 2,000 deaths since protests against his rule began in March.