Syrian forces maintained a heavy presence in the southern city of Daraa Thursday, a day after a security crackdown on anti-government protesters left 22 people dead, a witness said, DPA reported.
Daraa had become a "ghost town"; its streets empty, the witness who declined to be named told the German Press Agency dpa. Snipers were stationed on rooftops near the Omaria mosque, at the centre of protests and Wednesday's crackdown.
The witness said at least 22 people were killed and over 250 injured when security forces stormed the mosque and opened fire on the protesters. The death toll could not be verified.
At the time, medical staff, protesters and hundreds injured in earlier clashes with security forces, were in and around the mosque that has been a gathering point for protesters calling for an end to emergency law and greater freedoms.
City residents described the events as a "massacre," adding that women and children were among the dead.
Amongst the casualties were residents from nearby areas who were shot after being allowed into Daraa by security forces, who have controlled entry and exit points to the city for several days.
The United States on Wednesday condemned the violence.
"We're deeply concerned by the Syrian government's use of violence, intimidation and arbitrary arrests to hinder the ability of its people to freely exercise their universal rights," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.
Six people were killed in Daraa earlier this week in clashes between security forces and protesters.
In some cases, protesters have also called for an end to the leadership Bashar al-Assad, who took over as president after the death of his father in 2000.
Journalists and activists have been arrested by security forces throughout the country in recent days. Mobile phone and internet communication networks in the city have been disrupted.
Syria has been ruled by the Baath party since 1963. Political freedoms in the country are severely restricted.