Two men have been arrested in Berlin for allegedly spying on members of the Syrian opposition in Germany, prosecutors said Tuesday. Officials were also searching the homes of six others suspected of similar activities. The arrests came amid international outrage at Syria's violent crackdown on opposition.

Investigators for German federal prosecutors arrested two alleged Syrian government agents on Tuesday in Berlin, Germany.

The two suspects, identified as Mahmoud el-A., 47, and Akram O., 34, are suspected of spying for the Syrian regime. The men, one of Syrian origin and the other German-Lebanese, allegedly conducted systematic observation of Syrian opposition members living in Germany, said federal prosecutors.

Both have been being watched themselves by domestic intelligence agents, though, and will now face an investigating judge on Wednesday. Another six people are also being investigated for possible involvement in the spying. A number of apartments were still reportedly being searched by authorities on Tuesday afternoon, with some 70 officers said to be involved.

The Syrian government, led by President Bashar Assad, has killed an estimated 5,400 people in its efforts to put down a rebellion that began with peaceful protests. Human rights activists claim the death toll may have reached more than 6,000. Still, the international community has yet to officially condemn the violence due to a widely-criticized U.N. resolution veto by Russia and China at the weekend.