Beirut: A human rights activist in Syria says more than 200 members have quit the ruling Baath party in the southern province at the epicentre of the country's uprising to protest President Bashar Assad's brutal crackdown on opponents.
Mustafa Osso says another 30 resigned in the coastal city of Banias.
In Focus: Unrest in the Middle East
A resident of the city of Daraa said on Thursday that most of the resignations came from Baath party members in the town of Inkhil. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals.
Syria's uprising against Assad's authoritarian regime started in Daraa, the provincial capital, on March 15.
Assad has tried to crush the revolt, the gravest challenge to his family's 40-year ruling dynasty.
More than 450 people have been killed across Syria in the crackdown, with 120 dead over the weekend.
