Despite mounting international pressure on Syria to cease violence against protestors, authorities vowed to restore “secure and stability†as activists called for more protests on Friday, reported Agence-France Presse.
The fallout of the violence was felt in Britain a day before "the wedding of the century" when the Syrian’s ambassador’s invitation to the ceremony of Prince William and Kate Middleton was withdrawn.
Daraa, which has witnessed some of the worst violence since protests rocked the government of President Bashar al-Assad on March 15, continues to bear the brunt as its water and power have been cut off.
But Syrian authorities seem unperturbed by international calls for peace or threats of sanctions by the European Union. Adnan Mahmud, Information Minister, told AFP the crackdown would continue.
"The authorities are determined to restore security, stability and peace to the citizens," Mr. Mahmud said.
"In Daraa, the army intervened at the request of the population to restore security," he added.
Activists say the death toll rose to 42 over a period of four days in Daraa while human rights group estimate that 453 civilians have died in the country since March 15.
Mr. Mahmud said that more than 50 soldiers and dozens of police have been killed and hundreds injured since the revolt began.
April 29 has been declared the "Friday of Anger" in solidarity with Daraa, according to a Facebook group—and more violence is expected after Friday prayers.
"To the youths of the revolution, tomorrow we will be in all the places, in all the streets … we will gather at the besieged towns, including with our brothers in Daraa," said the statement posted online on Thursday.
"We will not leave Daraa isolated," it said, adding demonstrations were also expected in Homs in the center of the country and Banias in the northwest.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for London-based opposition activists Ausama Monajed told AFP that he hoped the army would protect innocent civilians.
"We hope that Mr. Assad still has an ounce of humanity in him so he can stop this massacre, otherwise the response on Friday will be on the street, where hundreds of thousands will turn out to demonstrate against him and his regime, demanding his departure," he said.
The situation in Daraa seems to be deteriorating with medical supplies and essential goods like babies’ formula in short supply.
"We have neither doctors nor medical supplies, not even baby milk. The electricity is always cut and we haven’t any more water," Abdallah Abazid, a rights activist, told AFP in Nicosia by telephone from Daraa.
Many of the families of the 42 who have been killed since Monday when troops entered Daraa have not been able to properly bury them because "security forces were firing on anybody visiting the cemetery," Mr. Abazid said. (The army is said to be controlling the cemetery.)
Meanwhile, reports indicate that hundreds of Syrians are said to have fled to Lebanon after unrest broke out in Tall Kalakh, a town on the border according to an AFP reporter.
In a related blow to Mr. Assad’s regime, 233 members of his Baath party announced their resignation in protest of the violence on protestors.
"The security services have demolished the values with which we grew up. We denounce and condemn everything that has taken place and announce with regret our resignation from the party," they said in a signed statement.