Thousands turn out for funeral of four killed in Banias

Protesters at funeral in port city of Banias Thousands of mourners chanting "Death is better than humiliation!" turned out Monday for a funeral for four protesters killed in the port city of Banias as the government tried to quell more than three weeks of unrest.

An eyewitness told The Associated Press some 2,000 people took part in the funeral after Muslim noon prayers in the Banias Cemetery, a day after witnesses say security forces and pro-government gunmen opened fire on protesters, killing four.  The military rolled into the Mediterranean city early Monday, taking up positions around key buildings and intersections but pulled out after several hours and kept up their positions on the outskirts. The witness, on the phone from Banias, said schools and shops were closed because people feared more clashes. He said the army's arrival was met mostly with relief. "We are happy it's the army and not security forces who are like regime-hired gangs," he told The Associated Press. Like most eyewitnesses who spoke to the AP, he requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from the government.

Protests erupted in Syria more than three weeks ago and have been growing steadily every week, with tens of thousands of people calling for sweeping reforms to President Bashar Assad's authoritarian regime.More than 170 people have been killed, according to human rights groups. In Banias, no soldiers were present at the funeral. Participants dispersed peacefully. "The troops just came into the city to say they are with the people, not against them," the resident said. He added that troops were in control of the city's entrances as well as the coastal highway that cuts through the city.

Most of the violence since demonstrations began last month has been concentrated in the southern city of Daraa, where the protests first erupted March 18. Calls to the city were not going through, but a Daraa resident contacted by AP said Syrian employees evacuated a government compound in the city. He said road blocks were erected and at least one tank stood at the city's northern entrance on Monday. Overnight, Syrian forces set up dirt mounds on main city roads and on Daraa's exit roads. The move to evacuate the government compound raised fears among residents that a military operation was being planned.

The government blames the violence on armed gangs rather than reform-seekers and has vowed to crush further unrest. On Sunday, state television reported that thugs killed nine soldiers in an ambush near Banias, which is 185 miles (300 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Damascus. The report said gunmen hiding among trees along a road shot at the soldiers, and it broadcast images later of ambulance and other civilian vehicles coming under fire along the same road.

The accounts could not be independently confirmed said the Jordan Times.  The government has placed severe restrictions on news coverage and many journalists  - including from The Associated Press -  have been ordered to leave the country.

Assad has made a series of overtures to try and appease the growing outrage, including sacking local officials and granting Syrian nationality to thousands of Kurds, a long-ostracized minority. But the gestures have failed to satisfy protesters who are demanding political freedoms and an end to the decades-old despised emergency laws. On Sunday, Assad ordered the release of 191 detainees who were arrested in the past few weeks during protests in the Damascus suburb of Douma, where 12 people were shot dead during last Friday. A Syrian official told AP that Assad made the announcement during a meeting with the families of the 12 killed.He said Assad listened to the grievances of Douma residents -  mainly the need to combat corruption - and promised to help Syrians. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give official statements.