Infolive.tv - Israel News - Rights activists say troops backed by tanks and helicopter gunships have launched a heavy assault on a northern city near the Turkish border, as nations across the globe are condemning the government's brutal crackdown on protesters. The town Jisr al-Shughour, near the border with Turkey, has been the focus of military operations for days. Thousands of people have fled into Turkey to escape the bloodshed. Germany's foreign minister on Sunday denounced the Syrian government's crackdown in the north and demanded that it "stop the violence immediately." Both Germany and the U.S. have called on Syria to allow humanitarian and aid workers to help those in crisis areas. A White House statement on Saturday accused the Syrian government of creating a humanitarian crisis in northern Syria, and called on Syrian authorities to give the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) "immediate, unfettered access" to this region. Activists say security forces opened fire on demonstrators in several cities. They say at least seven protesters were killed in the town of Latakia as they tried to tear down a giant poster of President Assad. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Syria is engaging in "horrific" attacks against its citizens. But she said the international community is not considering a plan to act militarily against Syria - as in Libya - because there is not a regional consensus. Rights groups say more than 1,200 people have been killed in the Syrian crackdown that began in March and more than 10,000 people have been arrested.