Syria: Assad Rallies Supporters after Teenager is Shot Dead By Regime’s Forces

Syrian security forces and snipers Thursday killed three people, including a teenager, in the central region of Homs and the southern province of Daraa, often described as two of the regime opponent's stronghold, activists said.

"A 15-year-old minor was killed and three people were wounded by security forces during raids," in the town of Dael, near the southern city of Daraa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement.

A video, which has not been independently verified, was posted online by activists and showed blood pouring from the teenager's head, soaking his blue T-shirt, as another boy screamed in the background.

More than 5,000 people took to the streets Wednesday, to repeat calls for President Bashar al-Assad to step down, the Observatory said, also adding that 23 people were arrested in the town.

In the region of Homs, two civilians were also killed, with reports saying one was shot by sniper fire while the other was killed by security forces, the watchdog said.

More accusations against the Syrian regime followed after The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, warned that security forces had visited several towns to the east of Damascus looking for people "on the basis of lists."

Protesters had already denounced such tactics, warning the regime had also been targeting activists in their homes.

Despite months of state-sponsored violence anti-regime protesters are determined to continue protesting against the regime.

Assad's reputation has been tarnished by the brutal crackdown imposed on its own people, prompting sanctions from the EU and the U.S.

Thursday's violence came as Assad received a Qatar-led Arab league delegation which arrived in Syria Wednesday and announced they had planned a second meeting Sunday.

The delegation has explained it will seek to find a political solution to the crisis and establish a dialogue between the government and the newly formed opposition.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheik Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani was quoted as saying the Syrian government seemed eager to work with the Arab committee "in order to reach a solution," a surprising statement as Assad had rejected previous Arab initiatives.

"What is important for us is that there are no victims from any side in Syria," Sheik Hamad told reporters. "The fighting should stop and the dialogue should begin between the Syrian brothers so that, God willing, they agree on points that fulfill people demands."

With a foreign delegation on the territory, the authorities were eager to spotlight the regime's popularity and a massive pro-Assad rally was organised in the coastal city of Latakia.

State television repeatedly broadcast images showing tens of thousands of Syrians supporting their president and rejecting foreign interference, shouting "We want Assad!"

The rally comes just a day after a similar show of support was organised in Damascus.

While anti-Assad campaigners warn that most of the pro-regime rallies are staged by the authorities, the large crowds prove the regime is not yet about to collapse as Assad still enjoys a large base of supporters.

Assad supporters are partly constituted of a mix of people who have financially and socially benefited from the regime, religious minorities that have been protected by the regime or of Syrians who do not see any clear alternative to the staus quo.

Supporters of the regime are also concentrated in the capital Damascus and around Aleppo.

With Assad still firmly in power and the protesters insisting they would not stop until the president steps down the Syrian bloodbath could last for months to come.

According to the U.N. the government crackdown on protests has already killed 3,000 people.