Syrian Forces Clash With Protesters In Daraa

Syria, state TV showed what it said were clashes in the flashpoint town of Daraa on April 8.

Reports quoting witnesses and rights activists say antigovernment protests erupted in several Syrian cities, including a suburb of the capital, Damascus.

Security forces reportedly clashed with demonstrators during a protest in the tense southern city of Daraa. The reports, which could not be independently confirmed, said up to 22 people had been killed.

Daraa, south of the capital Damascus, has been the focal point of antigovernment protests marred by deadly violence.

In Damascus, reports said gunfire was heard during a protest in the neighborhood of Harasta.

In the central city of Homs, hundreds of people also took to the streets.

Protests also erupted in Kurdish regions of eastern Syria, one day after President Bashar al-Assad on April 7 offered Syrian nationality to some Kurds in an apparent attempt to cool resentment over nearly five decades of Ba'ath Party rule.

compiled from agency reports