Syrian security forces are clamping down on protesters across greater Damascus and flashpoint cities including Daraa, surrounding the areas and carrying out arrests, the head of a human rights group said.
The sound of heavy gunfire was heard today in the southwestern Damascus suburb of Mouadhamiya, which has seen intensifying demonstrations against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, a witness said.
"I tried to get in through Mouadhamiya's main entrance but there were scores of soldiers with rifles turning cars back," he said.
Unconfirmed reports by activists in the last two days said tanks had entered the large suburb. Mouadhamiya lies on the main road to the occupied Golan Heights, which overlook Damascus.
Authorities encircled the district late yesterday and detained large numbers of pro-democracy protesters in the suburbs, including Barzeh and Douma, Mahmoud Merhi, of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, said in a phone interview from Syria today, without specifying the number arrested.
Many will be prosecuted, he said. "The periphery of Daraa is surrounded, which is a clear indication that the crisis is still not over," he said.
Syrian authorities released two veteran opposition figures arrested last month as part of a crackdown to crush a revolt against the 11-year rule of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Ammar Qurabi, head of National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria, said the authorities released Hassan Abdel Azim (81) and Hazem al-Nahar yesterday evening.
The latest activity comes as a adviser to Mr Assad said the government had gained the upper hand over a seven-week uprising against his rule, the New York Times has reported.
"I hope we are witnessing the end of the story," Bouthaina Shaaban told the newspaper in an interview. "I think now we've passed the most dangerous moment. I hope so, I think so."
Mr Assad, who has ruled Syria since inheriting power from his father in 2000, has faced the most serious challenge to his authoritarian rule from protests which broke out in the southern city of Deraa on March 18 and swept across the country.
Two weeks ago he sent the army to crush protest in Deraa, before deploying troops in the coastal city of Banias, the central city of Homs, and southern towns around Deraa.
Syrian rights groups say at least 630 civilians have been killed in the unrest and thousands arrested. The United States and European Union have imposed targeted sanctions on Syrian officials in response to the repression.
Mr Assad has spoken only twice in public since the protests began, but Ms Shaaban's comments indicated that Syrian officials believe they can ride out the unrest and the international condemnation.
Ms Shaaban said she had been asked to open talks with some activists and last week met several veteran opposition figures, promising them a freer press, political parties and an election law, the newspaper reported. "In the next week or so, we will broaden (the dialogue)," she said.
But she dismissed the protesters as "a combination of fundamentalists, extremists, smugglers, people who are ex-convicts and are being used to make trouble".
Protesters, inspired by Arab uprisings which toppled entrenched leaders in Egypt and Tunisia, started with calls for political freedom and reforms, but their chants hardened into demands for Assad's overthrow.
Officials have blamed most of the violence on "armed terrorist groups", backed by Islamist groups and foreign agitators, and say around 100 soldiers and police have also been killed in the unrest.
"You can't be very nice to people who are leading an armed rebellion, in a sense," Ms Shaaban said.
The European Union agreed last week to impose travel restrictions and asset freezes on up to 14 Syrian officials for their part in the crackdown, although Assad was not among those immediately targeted. The United States has also imposed further targeted sanctions.
"This is a weapon used against us many times," Ms Shaaban said. "Once security is back, everything can be arranged. We're not going to live in this crisis forever."
Agencies