Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: An Escalation

1910 GMT: A doctor and residents have confirmed that four people died in Barzeh, a neighbourhood of Damascus, today.

That raises the overall death toll of protesters in Syria today to 14.

1900 GMT: A spokesman for the Yemeni regime says it has informed the Gulf Cooperation Council that it accepts a proposal for transition in power: "The ruling party informed the foreign ministers of the GCC of their acceptance of the Gulf initiative in full."

Under the plan, President Ali Abdullah Saleh will hand over power to his Vice President one month after an agreement is signed with opposition forces and will be granted immunity from prosecution.

1729 GMT: This video, reportedly filmed today, depicts civilians pinned down by gunfire in the streets of Syria. None of these men appear armed.

1720 GMT: CNN is reporting that 15 have been killed in fighting in Misurata today as rebels won a significant victory there.

According to the report, the Libyan government is claiming that military forces are being replaced by tribal warriors, but a resident of Misurata told CNN that this was a lie to cover for the government defeat. Also, according to the same source, the rebels have recaptured the center of the city, infamous for pro-Gaddafi snipers, but the government still controls the western gate, where battles have continued to rage.

Earlier, however, Al Jazeera reported that the government shows no signs of withdrawing from Misurata.

1651 A major Syrian dissident leader, Daniel Saud, leader of the Human Rights Committee, has been arrested in Baniyas. No word on what he has been charged with. 

1623 GMT: A spokesman for Syria's National Organization for Human Rights has released a statement that the two-day death toll has topped 120, with 112 killed yesterday and at least 8 killed today. 

1619 GMT: Al Jazeera is reporting that 4000 protesters have gathered in Harasta, between Douma and Damascus, but police on the rooftops are firing live rounds into the crowd. No word yet on casualties.

1540 GMT: The regime-appointed religious leader of Syria's southern province of Deraa has resigned in protest at the killing of demonstrators by security forces.

"Being assigned to give fatwas , I submit my resignation as a result of the fall of victims and martyrs by police fire," the Mufti, Rezq Abdulrahman Abazeid, told Al Jazeera. "When they announce at high levels that (protesters) will not be shot at, we see that the truth on the ground is not like that."

Earlier today, two MPs from Daraa quit in live interviews with Al Jazeera (see 1315 GMT).

Abazeid is the first Syrian religious leader to resign in connection with the current violent suppression of protest. His resignation follows those of two Syrian lawmakers, both from Deraa, in protest at the killing of demonstrators by security forces.

1535 GMT: Cal Perry of Al Jazeera English, who is being expelled from Syria, reports, "On the road to Amman outside Izraa, I witnessed a funeral march. Cut down by gunfire. Directly into crowd. Horrible."

1522 GMT: Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons paints a very different view of Misurata than a government withdrawal that was suggested by some rebel sources earlier. Simmons said that the rebel forces have made considerable advances, but there was no sign that the government was leaving Misurata. Fighting has intensified for the last 24 hours or so, but he cautioned that it is possible the rebels will have to retreat from their newly occupied locations within the city.

1509 GMT: Russia's foreign minister has released a statement expressing concern over the situation and bloodshed in Syria and encouraging the government to adopt reforms at a quicker pace. HE said he was "concerned by the heightening of tensions and signs of a confrontation that is leading to the suffering of innocent people."

Russia, historically, has close ties to Syria.

1458 GMT: James Miller will be taking the reigns for a while. 

Several hundred Iraqi Shiites have gathered in Bagdad to protest in solidarity with the anti-government movement in Bahrain. The rally was organized by the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, that is calling on the Bahrani government to stop its oppression of dissidents. The protesters are also demanding that foreign powers, especially Saudi Arabia, remove troops from Bahrain:

"'We strongly denounce the double standard in the stance of world and the regional countries on the presence of invading forces in Bahrain,' Hadi al-Amiri, a top official of the SIIC, told the demonstrators referring to forces of Gulf states in Bahrain." 

1410 GMT: Al Jazeera Arabic's report on the Friday protests in Syria is featuring very graphic images of wounded demonstrators.

1350 GMT: Although regime forces are said to have withdrawn from Misurata in Libya, clashes continue --- a doctor says at least 10 people were killed and 50 wounded in street battles today.

Meanwhile, the US military has confirmed the first strike by a Predator drone, taking place early this afternoon.

1315 GMT: The latest from Syria....

people have reportedly been killed today by gunfire on funeral processions for Friday's slain protesters: six in Ezraa in the south, four in Douma near Damascus, and three in Barzeh near Damascus.

Two members of Parliament, Nasser Hariri and Khalil Al Rifae, have resigned in interviews with Al Jazeera.

Both MPs are from Daraa, which has suffered dozens of deaths during the uprising. Hariri said, "[I] feel sorry for those who were killed... by the bullets of security forces despite the fact that the president has promised no live ammunition by security forces at all. Being an MP I feel the need to step down as I am not able to protect the voters killed by live ammunition."

1125 GMT: An eyewitness says four people have been killed in the fire by security forces upon the funeral in Douma.

Al Jazeera correspondent Rula Amin says the building of one of the security branches is on fire.

There are also reports that Syrian security forces have fired live rounds at mourners trying to join thousands of people at funerals in the southern town of Ezraa.

1115 GMT: Reuters reports from a witness that Syrian forces have fired live ammunition at a funeral for pro-democracy protesters in the Damascus suburb of Douma, injuring three people.

1105 GMT: The line of Syrian state news agency SANA on Friday's events....

*Ten people were killed during clashes between protesters and a third group, and security forces only used water cannons and tear gas to disperse demonstrators.

*Two policemen were killed by "armed gangs" in Homs.
*President Assad appointed a new governor for the northern port of Latakia
This fire engine was smashed by "criminal armed groups" in Jober, a Damascus suburb, injuring firefighters, two of them critically:

1100 GMT: Physicians for Human Rights lists 44 doctors, nurses, and medical staff who are detained or missing in Bahrain and posts a report which concludes:

PHR’s findings are an indictment of the Bahraini government’s all-out assault on health care and health professionals. The ruthless targeting of physicians is but one element of a vicious crackdown on dissent. The militarization of the health system has caused a breakdown in access to health care and the trust of patients in Bahrain’s medical facilities.

1030 GMT: Yemen's state news agency Saba claims "nearly" 10 soldiers were killed and 19 "in two ambushes by terrorist elements of the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) and al-Qaeda in Marib province".

1025 GMT: Apparent confirmation of our report this morning (see 0530 GMT) that regime forces have withdrawn from the eight-week siege of Misurata, Libya's third-largest city....

Insurgents have taken over the main hospital in Misurata, which was under renovation and being used by Qaddafi forces. Opposition fighters also control Misurata bridge near the city's western gate.

An injured regime soldier told Reuters, "We have been told to withdraw. We were told to withdraw yesterday."

1015 GMT: Claimed footage of a funeral procession in Barzah near Damascus for at least one protester killed on Friday. Marchers are chanting, "The people want to topple the regime":

1010 GMT: Al Jazeera English's correspondent in Damascus, Cal Perry, has been expelled by the Syrian authorities.

1000 GMT: Activists in Syria are now putting the death toll from Friday at 103: Homs (25), Damascus (3), Qaboun (4), Madamia (9), Zamalka (3), Jobar (2), Darayya (4), Harasta (5), Douma (5)Al Hajjar Al Aswad (4), Ezra (32), Al Herak (1), Hama (5), Latakia (1).

0930 GMT: Reuters captures the size of the protest in Baniyas in Syria on Friday:

0920 GMT: The Los Angeles Times reports on insurgents taking control of Libya's mountain regions in the west.

0645 GMT: Tunisians and Libyans celebrate after the border post at Watin was taken by insurgents on Thursday:

0530 GMT: In Libya, which took a back seat in Friday's events, there were still significant developments.

The regime's Deputy Foreign Minister gave the clearest signal that Qaddafi forces had finally been ejected from Misurata, Libya's third-largest city. Khalem Kaid told journalists, "The situation in Misurata will be dealt with by the tribes around Misurata and Misurata's residents and not by the Libyan army."

Kaid continued, "We will leave the tribes around Misurata and Misurata's people to deal with the situation, either using force or negotiation."

The regime claimed three people were killed in a NATO near Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound in central Tripoli. AFP reports several explosions after warplanes flew over the capital.

0520 GMT: The news from Syria was so intense that it overshadowed the marches of hundreds of thousands of people, both for and against the regime, in Yemen.

There was no notable change in the political situation, however. President Saleh appeared to make a ritual defiance against any "coup" while saying he would accept changes within the framework of the Yemeni constitution.

The question remained as to whether, beyond the protests, there had been any advance on the Gulf Cooperation Council's proposal for a transition of power within the next 30 days.

0500 GMT: At least 88 people were killed on Friday, according to Amnesty International, in the deadliest day since the uprising began in Syria more than a month ago. Throughout the day, activists maintained lists of those who had died, and last night they circulated one identifying more than 70 victims.

The toll in itself is significant, but so was the political impact of the protests of tens of thousands across Syria. They reached the heart of Damascus, and video confirmed the intensity of the demonstrations as images and statues of President Assad, his late father, and his late brother were destroyed amidst chants for freedom and the toppling of the regime.

Within 48 hours, the Assad gesture to reforms, with the lifting of the 1963 Emergency Law, the end of the State Security Court, and a token declaration of the right to protests, had been consigned to the past. And there was no significant mobilisation of pro-regime demonstrators, to my knowledge, to counter the visible rejection of the President.

So today we will watch for signs that the protests will not be just a ritual for Friday --- look for more demonstrations at funerals of those slain yesterday --- and for the regime to show evidence that it still has the backing of most of its people.