Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: After Another Deathful Friday

See Also: Syria Feature: Hama, the City That Refused to Die

See Also: Sounds of a Revolution: The Music of Maher Zain (FOLEY)

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1941 GMT: The Associated Press is reporting that the opposition fighters in Libya have made significant gains in the city of Az-Zawiya, but heavy fighting continues in the area:

A rebel force of about 200 fighters advancing from the south reached a bridge on Az-Zawiyah's southwestern outskirts, and some rebels pushed farther into the city's central main square.

They tore down the green flag of Gaddafi's regime from a mosque minaret and put up two rebel flags. An Associated Press reporter traveling with the rebels saw hundreds of residents rush into the streets, greeting the fighters with chants of "God is great."

Gaddafi's forces then counterattacked, unleashing rounds of heavy shelling and gunfire could be heard as rebels and government troops battled.

Regime snipers were firing down from rooftops on the rebels, said one resident, Abdel-Basset Abu Riyak, who joined to fight alongside the rebels when they entered the city. He said Gaddafi's forces were holed up in several pockets in the city and that there were reports of reinforcements coming from Tripoli, though there was no sign of them yet.

Speaking to the AP by telephone, Abu Riyak said residents were now joining up with the rebels' assault, saying, "95 percent of Az-Zawiyah's people are with the revolution."

"There is shooting from all sides," said another rebel, 23-year-old Ibrahim Akram. "The people joined us. Fierce clashes are still ongoing, but thank God our numbers are great." - Associated Press

1938 GMT: James Miller takes the blog for a few updates...

The Local Coordinating Committees of Syria have stated that 7 people have been killed today in Syria, "4 in Homs, 1 in Hama, 1 in Daraya and 1 in Latakia. Earlier, two deaths were reported in Latakia."

1700 GMT: After US President Barack Obama and Saudi King Abdullah had discussed the situation in Syria. the White House said in a statement:

The two leaders expressed their shared, deep concerns about the Syrian government's use of violence against its citizens and agreed that the Syrian regime's brutal campaign of violence against the Syrian people must end immediately.

See Also: Syria Feature: Hama, the City That Refused to Die

1645 GMT: Al-Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from al-Aziziya.

See Also: Sounds of a Revolution: The Music of Maher Zain (FOLEY)

1630 GMT: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says soldiers and Assad loyalists have raided Jousiyah village near the Lebanese border, carrying out arrests. 

1615 GMT: An activist in Latakia tells Al Jazeera that two people were killed today.

1600 GMT: According to experts, the crisis in Syria is affecting especially the neighbouring countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan) economically. Turkey comes as the most important country due to high level of investment and trade volume between two countries. Some sources estimate that trade volume has dropped between 30% and 40%. Might this be the main reason of the so-called Turkish 'ultimatum'?

1545 GMT: Iraqi PM Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has set a friendly tone, urging the protesters not to “sabotage” the state and hosting an official Syrian delegation. Is it because of being stuck between Assad and Ahmadinejad or due to his own interest which is highly related with Iraq's Shiite majority's support to the Assad regime? If it is the latter, will this turn into another round of sectarian fight inside Iraq? 

Joost Hiltermann, the International Crisis Group’s deputy program director for the Middle East, said:

The unrest in Syria has exacerbated the old sectarian divides in Iraq because the Shiite leaders have grown close to Assad and the Sunnis identify with the people.

Maliki is very reliant on Iran for his power and Iran is backing Syria all the way. The Iranians and the Syrians were all critical to bringing him to power a year ago and keeping him in power so he finds himself in a difficult position.

1615 GMT: An activist in Latakia tells Al Jazeera that two people were killed today.

1600 GMT: According to experts, the crisis in Syria is affecting especially the neighbouring countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan) economically. Turkey comes as the most important country due to high level of investment and trade volume between two countries. Some sources estimate that trade volume has dropped between 30% and 40%. Might this be the main reason of the so-called Turkish 'ultimatum'?

1545 GMT: Iraqi PM Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has set a friendly tone, urging the protesters not to “sabotage” the state and hosting an official Syrian delegation. Is it because of being stuck between Assad and Ahmadinejad or due to his own interest which is highly related with Iraq's Shiite majority's support to the Assad regime? If it is the latter, will this turn into another round of secterian fight inside Iraq? 

Joost Hiltermann, the International Crisis Group’s deputy program director for the Middle East, said:

The unrest in Syria has exacerbated the old sectarian divides in Iraq because the Shiite leaders have grown close to Assad and the Sunnis identify with the people.

Maliki is very reliant on Iran for his power and Iran is backing Syria all the way. The Iranians and the Syrians were all critical to bringing him to power a year ago and keeping him in power so he finds himself in a difficult position.

1540 GMT: BBC reports that rebel fighters in Libya say they took the town of Tawargha, east of the city of Misrata.

1530 GMT: Another video from a mass funeral procession in the Damascus suburb of Douma.

1525 GMT: Syrian state media says three security personnel have been buried on Saturday after being killed by "armed terrorist groups in Damascus countryside and Homs".

1500 GMT: Opposition fighters advanced toward the towns of Gharyan and Az-Zawiyah in Libya.

1455 GMT: A Turkish official speaking on condition of anonymity told the Hurriyet Daily News that Turkey isn’t ruling out international intervention in Syria if the Bashar al-Assad regime doesn’t stop using violence against its own people. The same source considers a letter from Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Assad delivered by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as an 'ultimatum.' 

1445 GMT: Al Jazeera's Nisreen al-Shamayleh reports that funeral processions are taking place in Deraa and in Quseir, in Homs province. 

She also cites activists saying a child around the age of 8 was shot dead by a sniper at the doorstep of his house in Deir ez-Zor around noon on Saturday.

1425 GMT: Video showing the funeral of the protestors killed on Friday in Douma.

1420 GMT: Video showing army at the entrance of Raml Al-Janoubi district.

1405 GMT: Imprisoned Libyan army Colonel, Wissam Miland, talked to AFP. For Miland, Gaddafi's army is int he process of collapse due to infighting among army regulars, militia fighters and mercenaries. He said: "Gaddafi is losing now because of this."

1355 GMT: The opposition Local Co-ordination Committees says more than 10 people have been wounded in Idlib province, as the military entered the town of Sarmeen. Morever, two people have been killed and tens wounded in al-Ramel neighbourhood in Latakia. 

1340 GMT: The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu called on Syrian leadership to "exercise restraint" and offered to mediate in dialogue with the protest movement. 

On the other hand, according to the Daily Telegraph, the deal between Iranian and Syrian officials will result in the construction of a new multi-million-dollar military base on the Syrian coast to make it easier to ship weapons and other military hardware between the two countries. It is expected to be done in a year. 

1315 GMT: The UN Security Council will discuss the situation in Syria on 18 August. 

1230 GMT: New video footages claimed to be coming Latakia are showing the heavy presence of Syrian army. 

1200 GMT: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says one person has been killed in Latakia's al-Ramel neighbourhood, and that phonelines and internet has been cut in the area.

1040 GMT: Unlike the rebels' claim, Gaddafi's Deputy Foreign Minister says government troops reduced rebel gains in Tawargah and pushed back rebels all the way to Misrata. He said:

They managed to advance for 10 to 15 kms after the NATO attacked the number of checkpoints in Tawargah but finally before midnight the fighters from Ban al Waleed tribes managed to push them back to Misrata.

1000 GMT: According to a hospital worker, 21 rebels and pro-Gadhafi troops killed during battle for Libyan oil terminal of Brega over past 2 days.

0930 GMT: After the heavy deployment of Egyptian military personnel in the Tahrir Square in order to block hundreds of protestors, everything turns into 'normal' by sunrise. Traffic returned to the usual and the presence of security forces became less intensive. 

0900 GMT: This video footage is from Friday's demonstration in Harasta, a suburb town of Damascus, showing protestors scaterred after security forces opened fire. 

0840 GMT: It is reported that around 20 tanks and armoured personnel vehicles deployed around the al-Ramel neighbourhood in Latakia. Gunfire was heard, according to activists. 

0800 GMT: Al Jazeera correspondent Nisreen El-Shamayleh reports that the death toll in Deir ez-Zor rose to four in Deir ez-Zor as two of them (a 75 year old man and a 15 year old boy) died overnight. She adds that Hama is still under military siege and even residents were prevented to attend evening prayers. 

At the end of Friday, the total number of killed people is 20. Five dead in Douma, four dead in Hama, four dead in Deir ez-Zor, four dead in Homs, two dead in Daraa, and one person dead in Idlib.

0700 GMT: Friday went much as expected in North Africa and the Middle East --- hundreds of thousands took to the streets in Yemen but with little sign of a political shift, open protest in Egypt was reduced to hundreds in a display in Tahrir Square in Cairo surrounded by security forces, Bahrain's "uprising" now smolders beneath the show enquiry into its causes, and the opposition makes small, tenuous advances in Libya in daily skirmishes.