Syrian troops overwhelm protest town

05-02-2011 • http://www.washingtonpost.com/

BEIRUT — Syrian troops seized control of a mosque at the center of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule on Saturday, as the regime shrugged off fresh sanctions imposed by the Obama administration and pressed ahead with its harsh crackdown against dissenters.

There were renewed reports of anti-government demonstrations in a handful of towns around the country, even as human rights groups said they had confirmed 66 deaths in the suppression of nationwide protests on Friday.

Videos posted on YouTube and obtained by satellite television showed bodies in the streets of the city of Homs and in a southern village, apparently after troops had opened fire on protesters the day before.

But the worst of the violence has occurred in the southern town of Daraa, where the revolt began in March and which has been under siege by the Syrian army since Monday.