Agreement to try to calm the restive Syrian City - Reuters

Women demonstrate, on the coastal road Baida, April 13, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/HandoutBy Khaled Yacoub Oweis

AMMAN. Thu April 14, 2011 6 pm EDT

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian authorities sought to defuse tensions in Banias in agreeing to withdraw from the secret police feared the restive coastal town, replacing them with army patrols and to release imprisoned pro-democracy demonstrators.

Syrian forces walled Banias and surround the reservoir after a protest against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, 45, in the City Friday, during which demonstrators shouted "people want the overthrow of the regime."

The demonstration, echoing the cries of rallying of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, was part of a wave of unrest that have swept through the Syria in which a rights group said 200 people died. Students walk on Wednesday in the second city of Aleppo the Syria.

Loyalists irregular to El-Assad, called "al-shabbiha", has killed four people at Banias on Sunday, a rights activist said, raising tensions in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation governed by minority Alawi, acceding to an offshoot of Islam Shi'ite.

"Banias residents arrested in recent weeks are already filed," said the Syrian human rights observatory. "The army will go but there is also a pledge out of the secret police... and improve living conditions."

In the United States, France, Britain and other nations have urged Assad to refrain from violence in dealing with protests.

The Syria problems came to a head after police arrested more than a dozen children in the town of Deraa to graffiti inspired by pro-democracy demonstrations throughout the Arab world.

These events would have been unthinkable a few months ago this more closely controlled the Arab countries, where the Baath party has been in power for nearly 50 years. Modern Syria has obtained its independence from the France in 1946.

AHEAD OF THE FRIDAY PRAYER

Television Al Jazeera reported that the Syrian army had said Banias residents could enter the city, but he promised that no there is none of the attacks by the military.

The deal, struck in Damascus between an official of the Baath party and the imams and the personalities of Banias, was intended to help calm the city, is home to one of oil refineries two of the Syria, before the Friday prayer which have been a flash point.

Friday prayers have been mounting protests against the rule of iron of the Ba'ath party, which began in the city of the South of Deraa almost a month ago. The protests have spread to the suburbs of Damascus, North-East, the Mediterranean coast and other areas.

The Baath party has banned opposition and respect the laws of emergency since 1963. The wave of disorders presented Assad with the biggest challenge to his rule since he succeeded his father Hafez Al-Assad, who ruled for 30 years until his death in 2000.

Assad responded to demonstrations with a mixture of deadly force - security forces killed unarmed demonstrators, according to witnesses - and vague promises of reform have failed to dampen protests.

The Damascus Declaration, the basic rights of the Syria group, said that the balance of these events reached 200.

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