Assad replaces heads of unruly provinces

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has replaced governors in two regions that have seen sustained protests against his rule.

The official SANA news agency said Mr Assad issued a decree appointing Hussein Makhlouf as governor of rural Damascus, the region around the capital, and Yasser Shoufi as governor of the northern province of Idlib, bordering Turkey. Mr Assad has replaced nearly half of the country’s 14 governors since the uprising began in mid-March.

Activists say Mr Assad’s forces have raided towns and villages in both provinces this month, hunting for activists and army defectors. The raids have led to clashes between the army and suspected deserters.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two people were killed by the army early yesterday. Their funeral later in the day turned into an anti-Assad rally, the British-based group added.

In the southern province of Deraa, shops and businesses in several towns were shut for a fifth consecutive day as part of a protest strike.