Syrian security forces have arrested 499 people during a six-day operation in the southern city of Deraa, the local Sana news agency said, quoting military sources.
The report carried by Sana said that 10 members of “armed terrorist groups” have been killed in the operation.
Deraa remains under siege by the Syrian army since Monday, when troops backed by tanks and snipers entered the city and opened fire at protesters. Rights activists said at least 40 people had been killed in the crackdown.
The unrest in Syria has already claimed the lives of more than 600 people.
On Saturday, the army stormed a mosque in Deraa that had been controlled by local residents, killing at least four protesters, media reports quoted witnesses as saying. The operation came a day after at least 65 people were reported to have been killed in clashes with Syrian security forces, mostly in Deraa.
DAMASCUS, May 1 (RIA Novosti)