Conflicting reports about clashes near Damascus mosque

Conflicting reports have been coming from Damascus about yet another clash between protestors outside a mosque in the Syrian capital and security forces, with members of the opposition local co-ordination committee (LCC) claiming one person was killed in police firing.
 
Qatari television network Al Jazeera claimed that thousands of people took to the streets in Kafarsouseh, a western suburb of Damascus, protesting against president Bashar Al Assad's rule, following early morning prayers on Saturday.
 
Witnesses told the network that security forces and 'regime thugs' arrived at the scene and tried to stop the demonstration. They also used sound bombs and tear gas, but the mob hit back, resulting in the security forces opening fire. Eight people were allegedly injured and one person was killed.
 
The 80-year-old imam of the mosque was taken to a hospital and about 150 people arrested, the channel claimed. The LCC claimed protesters also converged on Abaseen Square in central Damascus.
 
But Syria's state media has denied there were any protests in the capital and accused 'provocative' satellite channels, including Al Jazeera and Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya, of fabricating events.

Syrian Arab News Agency, the state-owned news agency, claimed nearly a dozen army and law enforcement personnel have been killed and several others injured after armed groups attacked them in the eastern province of Deir el Zour and in a Damascus suburb.
 
Human rights groups accuse the Assad regime of having killed more than 2,200 people since the uprising began in mid-March.

Violence broke out in the country following the wave of unrest in several Arab countries including Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Libya.

Anti-government protests were first organised in the southern province of Daraa, but it has spread to other cities in recent weeks.
 
A UN mission sent to probe the violence in Syria claims there is an urgent need to protect civilians from excessive force. The agency has, however, not declared a humanitarian crisis in the Arab nation.
 
The UN Security Council is also divided over whether to impose sanctions against the Assad regime. While the western nations are calling for the imposition of sanctions, Russia has a proposed a draft that has not condemned Syria.

It calls upon the Assad regime to speed up reforms ''to effectively address the legitimate aspirations and concerns of Syria's people.''