A leading Syrian human rights campaigner said on Monday that the Syrian authorities have launched a war against the country's peaceful pro-democracy movement by attacking three cities.

"This is a savage war designed to annihilate Syria's democrats," Suhair al-Atassi said in a statement sent to Reuters.

"President Bashar al-Assad's intentions have been clear since he came out publicly saying he is 'prepared for war' in his speech on 30 March. I am at my home in Dummar suburb of Damascus. Come and arrest me," she said.