RETRENCHMENT

Syrian Army Advances Against Protests

But retreats from besieged town of Daraa.

Even as the eyes of the world turn to Pakistan, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is continuing his campaign against protests that have shaken his regime. On Thursday, the government said army units are withdrawing from Daraa, a southern city where the protests began and which the army brutally invaded last week—although many soldiers remain. Meanwhile, the military has deployed in greater numbers elsewhere in the country, while security forces are reportedly conducting door-to-door searches, arresting suspects. "They cut off communications before they came in. There is no resistance. The demonstrations in Saqba have been peaceful. Scores of people have been arrested," said one resident of a targeted Damascus suburb.