Thousands of residents of Daraa in southern Syria took to the street on Sunday morning. The mass demonstrations coincided with the arrival of a government delegation to offer condolences following the death of four protesters killed by Syrian security forces on Friday.
The Syrian government has sought to appease the popular discontent with the announcement on Sunday regarding its intention to release immediately all 15 children who were detained by authorities in Daraa after drawing slogans demanding freedom. These demonstrations are considered the boldest challenge to Bashar al-Assad regime.
The Syrian government confirmed Sunday it will release all the detained children immediately.
The massive protests erupted after the detention of children as residents demanded their release. The protests led to violent clashes in which demonstrators pelted police with stones. New clashes erupted during the funeral of the victims as the Syrian security forces fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
It should be noted that the Syrian Interior Ministry formed a committee yesterday to investigate these incidents and take necessary actions.
