Mosques not sacred as the military continues drive to stamp out opposition

The Syrian military's capture of the Omari Mosque in Daraa this weekend was another sign of its determination to crush dissent in a town that has become a symbol of the six-week uprising against the government.

After deploying reinforcements of four tanks and 20 armoured personnel carriers to Daraa at dawn, the mosque was shelled, then taken by soldiers, who closed it to worshippers, activists and residents said.

Snipers took up positions on top of the mosque, and helicopters dropped paratroopers on its grounds, witnesses said. At least six people were killed at the mosque and elsewhere. Among them was the son of the mosque's preacher, who was shot when security forces entered his house looking for his father.

There was a report that the preacher, Sheik Ahmed Siasna, was arrested later, though that could not be confirmed. He was among a delegation that had met with Bashar al-Assad three weeks ago to discuss potential political reforms.