Protests spread throughout Syria

As reports surface that fresh gunfire was heard in the city of Deraa – the centre of a  serious challenge to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad - unconfirmed reports tell stories of a number of people killed in at least three separate protests.

Amnesty International already fears that as many as 55 people have already died there in the past week.

The marchers who took to the streets in Deraa on Friday had attended funerals for some of the 25 protesters killed on Wednesday.

Some of the protesters started a fire under a bronze statue of Assad's father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, witnesses reported, while another group of protesters trying to reach Deraa were reportedly killed in the nearby village of Salamen when security forces opened fire.

While government officials confirmed that at least 10 protesters had died, witnesses claim that the true figure is higher, citing that at least 20 people had been killed.

In Damascus, around 1,000 were reportedly continuing a protest into Friday night, vowing to stay until their demands had been met.

Earlier, hundreds marched on King Faisal Street chanting: "Peaceful, Peaceful, God, Syria, Freedom." This protest was broken up by security forces and many were arrested, reports say.

Supporters of Assad were also staging large protests in the capital, and clashes erupted between the two sides. In the central city of Hama, hundreds of people were said to have gathered on the city streets to chant "freedom".

In 1982, the Syrian army put down an uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood in Hama. Rights groups believe that tens of thousands of civilians were killed when large parts of the city were destroyed in the military assault.

In Tall, witnesses quoted by the Reuters news agency said about 1,000 people had rallied to show their support for the Deraa protesters, and were chanting slogans denouncing members of the ruling Assad family.

Demonstrations which ended in violence were also reported in the cities of Latakia and Homs. One person was killed in each place, the Associated Press news agency quoted an activist as saying.

On Thursday, the Syrian government said it would consider political reforms, including the possible ending of emergency laws introduced in 1963. It also said that it intends to put on trial those suspected of killing several protesters in Deraa.

Assad later ordered the release of everyone arrested during the "recent events", state media said.

Presidential spokeswoman Bouthaina Shaaban blamed outside agitators for whipping up trouble, and denied that the government had ordered security forces to open fire on protesters.

But she said this "did not mean mistakes had not been made".

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has already telephoned Assad and urged restraint and underline Syria's obligation to respect the fundamental rights of its citizens.