Syria, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Occupation

2110 GMT: Witnesses and an activist report that two divisions of the Syrian army clashed with each other on Monday as the military occupied the southern town of Daraa.

Battalions of the 5th Division reportedly were trying to protect civilians and clashed with battalions of the 4th Division, commanded the President's brother, Maher al-Assad.

The battle reportedly lasted for several hours.

2100 GMT: Two photos from a protest today in Nawa, near the occupied town of Daraa in southern Syria. Posters include "80,000 people are under siege for five days, No water, no food, no electricity, no communications" and "No water, no medicine, no food":

2050 GMT: Tens of thousands of people have rallied across Yemen, condemning the deaths of at least 13 anti-regime protesters killed in the capital Sanaa on Wednesday.

A doctor in a Sanaa hospital said 780 people were injured, 125 with gunshot wounds.

2035 GMT: Al Jazeera reports yet another change in control of the border crossing into Tunisia, with insurgents retaking the position after a day of fighting. The opposition forces were joined by troops fresh from the battle for Zintan in the northwest.

2020 GMT: Back from a break to find State outlets putting out important statements....

In Syria, the Ministry of Interior asking "citizens in the current circumstances to contribute significantly to stability and security and assisting the competent authorities...by refraining from engaging in any rallies or demonstrations or sit-ins".

And the Bahrain regime is insisting, with respect to the seven protesters sentenced today to death or life in prison (see 0800 GMT and separate video), "The defendants received all legal rights in line with human rights international laws and had lawyers representing them during the trial. They were also allowed to contact their families. The trial sessions were attended by representatives of human rights organisations and relatives of the defendants."

1620 GMT: Al Jazeera reports that regime forces have retaken posts on the Libyan-Tunisian border, including Wazin, which had been claimed by the opposition last week.

1615 GMT: Two claimed clips of demostrations today in Syria --- the first from Hamas, the second from Homs:

1605 GMT: The death toll from an explosion in a cafe in the main square of the Moroccan city of Marrakesh is now at least 18, with 20 wounded.

Officials suspect a suicide bomber is responsible.

1320 GMT: The Libyan opposition claims it has taken control of the airport of Misurata, which has been the focus of battles for more than two months.

Meanwhile, at least one NATO warplane accidentally attacked an insurgent position near the city, killing 12 fighters and wounding five others.

1230 GMT: Turkey has sent a high-level delegation of government experts to advise the Syrian regime on how to implement reforms.

"We don't want an authoritarian, totalitarian regime," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Wednesday. "We hope the process of democratization will be rapidly pursued. Our representatives will present to [President Assad] some of our preparations."

1215 GMT: Echoing the information in our separate entry on "Life Under Siege" in the southern Syrian city of Daraa, a witness tells CNN that bodies lie on the streets and the injured are in danger of dying because residents are too scared to leave the shelter of their homes.

The witness claimed hundreds of snipers are on the roofs of buildings, and security forces are shelling the city with mortars and anti-aircraft weapons. He added that residents have not had electricity, children's milk, or medicine for the last four days.

Meanwhile, residents of Madaya outside Damascus say "dozens" of people have been arrested when security forces moved into the town.

1210 GMT: Back from a break to find Yemen's "official" opposition, the Joint Meeting Parties, has warned the regime that violence against protesters will hinder an agreement to end the political crisis.

Gunmen killed ten people and wounded dozens of others in Sanaa on Wednesday when they opened fire on protesters. Three demonstrators were reportedly killed in Aden.

Regime and opposition representatives are meeting in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss an agreement under which President Saleh would transfer power to his Vice President within 30 days.

1005 GMT: Britain's Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has "un-invited" the Syrian Ambassador to tomorrow's Royal Wedding.

1000 GMT: Writing for The Guardian, Harriet Sherwood reports of the arming of Libyans, as young as 17, in a "home front" against opposition and NATO military action.

The regime has released thousands of AK-47 assault rifles into communities and is organising classes in the use of weapons.

0950 GMT: The Syrian human rights organization Sawasiah has raised its total of civilians killed by security forces to "at least 500" since the uprising against the Assad regime began on 15 March.

Sawasiah, founded by jailed lawyer Mohannad al-Hassani, also said thousands have been arrested and scores have gone missing.

0940 GMT: Bahrain State television has been showing the "confessions" of the seven men convicted this morning by a military court for the murder of two policemen (see 0800 GMT).

Four of the protesters were sentenced to death and three to life in prison.

0800 GMT: A military court in Bahrain has announced death sentences for four protesters accused of killing two policemen. Three have been given life sentences.

0655 GMT: Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught reports on the battle in the western mountains of Libya:

0500 GMT: A relatively quiet day in Libya on Wednesday --- apart from a report of some firing on the west side of Misurata, it appeared that the regime's siege of the city eased. Regime forces fired more than 20 rockets at the northwestern town of Zintan, leaving at least three people wounded.

0455 GMT: The UN Security Council failed to agree Wednesday on a draft statement condemning Syria's violence against peaceful protesters.

UN official B. Lynn Pascoe made the case for the statement, claiming reports by the "media, international human rights groups, UN agencies and diplomatic missions confirm that the overwhelming majority of protests have been peaceful and unarmed". US Ambassador Susan Rice accused Syria of "casting blame on outsiders" instead of responding to legitimate calls for reforms and then took a shot at Tehran, asserting Iran was backing the Assad regime's crackdown using "the same brutal tactics" it did against its own people. Lebanese Ambassador Nawaf Salam said the "hearts and minds" of the Lebanese were with the Syrians.

However,the Russian envoy Alexander Pankin said "a real threat could arise from outside interference or taking of sides", leading to civil war in Syria.

Syria's representative Bashar Ja'afari welcomed the failure to agree, "Some of the statements we heard today can only be considered an encouragement to extremism and terrorism."

0445 GMT: Confirmation came on Wednesday that the Syrian military, which occupied the southern town of Daraa on Monday, is also throughout the Damascus suburb of Douma and has surrounded the coastal town of Baniyas. Al Jazeera English summarised the development, including the first footage we have seen from Douma:

Not all is secured for the Assad regime, however. In a telling lead item, the State news agency SANA, from a "military source", fervently denied reports of dissent within the Army:

A number of biased TV stations have lately persisted to broadcast news claiming the occurrence of dissension among army units in a bid to harm the reputation of the military institution and deviate sights off the fact of conspiracy that targets the resisting method of Syria as well as destabilizing its security.

"Disapproving that, we stress that what has been reported was baseless and untrue… that reflects the failure of the side which has marketed the untrue news… its failure in fulfilling its low objectives.... it is a media distortion aiming at falsifying facts to hit the structure of national body of the Syrian society in general and the military institution in particular," the source said.

It added "spreaders of such lies have forgotten that the Syrian Arab Army is a national army… throughout history, the Syrian Army was and still is a consolidated structure and close power in the face of challenges and conspiracies being hatched against our people and country."