CAIRO — Syria’s government has withdrawn heavy weapons from inside cities and freed about 3,500 prisoners but security forces continue to kill protesters even with foreign monitors in the country, the Arab League chief said today.

Nabil Elaraby said pro-regime snipers also continue to operate in Syria and he demanded a complete cease-fire. But despite the regime’s crackdown, he listed the achievements of the Arab League monitors since they began work.

The monitors are supposed to verify Syria’s compliance with an Arab League plan to stop the 9-month-old crackdown on dissent. President Bashar Assad agreed to the plan on Dec. 19.

But since the Arab League monitors began work last Tuesday, activists say government forces have killed more than 150 people.

Elaraby told a news conference in Cairo, where the Arab League is based: “Yes, killings continue. The objective is for us to wake up in the morning and hear that no one is killed.

“There must be a complete cease-fire,” Elaraby said.

But he also said tanks and artillery have been pulled out from cities and residential neighborhood, food supplies reached residents and bodies of dead protesters recovered.