Protesters storm governor's office in southern Syria, casualties reported

Syrian police forces have shot dead a protester in Syria's southern city of Sweida as hundreds held a demonstration against deteriorating living conditions, media reports.

Tensions were high in the regime-held city on Sunday after some protesters threw rocks at a government building and stormed it, taking down a large picture of Bashar al Assad from its facade, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"At least one protester was killed" when security forces opened fire after protesters entered the building, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP news agency.

Rayan Maarouf, an activist from local news outlet Suwayda24, confirmed the death and said four others were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds in the Druze-majority city.

Earlier, state television said "lawbreakers" had stormed the provincial government building and "set fire to official documents and files", without immediately providing further information.

The Syrian regime's Interior Minister said in a statement that the people who raided the building were armed and destroyed furniture, smashed windows and looted files.

The statement added that a police officer was killed after protesters attacked a police station.

Suwayda24 posted images on social media that showed protesters chanting slogans calling for the fall of the regime as security forces stood guard outside the building.

Other images showed a military vehicle on fire and burning tyres on main streets of the city. Gunshots could be heard in some of the footage.

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Spared of violence 

Earlier, more than 200 people had gathered around the building in the centre of the Druze-majority city, chanting slogans against the Syrian regime, witnesses said.

Three witnesses told Reuters news agency the governor was not in the building which was vacated before protesters stormed the offices.

Sweida province has been spared the violence seen in other parts of Syria since the start of the over-decade long conflict that began after protests erupted against Beshar al Assad's family rule were violently crushed by the Syrian regime forces.

The minority Druze sect, whose faith draws its roots from Islam, have long resisted being drawn into the Syrian conflict.

Many community leaders and top Druze religious leaders have refused to sanction enlistment in the army.

Syria is in the throes of a deep economic crisis where a majority of people, after a devastating conflict that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, struggle to afford food and basic goods.

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