Bashar al-Assad meets with Dara’a delegation

President meets with Dara’a delegation

President Bashar al-Assad has met with a delegation from the embattled city of Dara’a, reported SANA.

"The meeting (Monday) focused on recent events in Dara’a and the current positive atmosphere there, which is a result of the cooperation between local residents and the army as well as reform plans underway throughout the country," the ruling party’s Al-Baath newspaper said.

The news coincides with reports of the discovery of a “mass grave” in the city where residents told AFP they have unearthed the bodies of 13 locals including a number of children.

But the government has refuted the claims claiming they are part of an international conspiracy targeting the country.

"Reports of a mass grave in Daraa are completely untrue," the interior ministry said. "These reports are part of a campaign of incitement and lies against Syria."

Border clashes drive more into Lebanon

Three army conscripts who entered Lebanon after protecting fleeing civilians may be sent back to face summary justice, reported the Guardian.

A fourth was reportedly killed trying to protect the refugees from armed militants they said have been terrorising the population of Tel Kalakh, the soldiers told BBC Arabic.

Al Watan and other Syrian publications denied media reports that Syrians were attempting to flee the violence in the town, adding that those who fled to Lebanon were relatives of “armed gangs fighting the army”.

But many non-Syrian media reports say as many as 5,000 refugees are now in Lebanon and risk being deported back to Syria.

In a single day on May 15 over 1,000 refugees crossed the Syria-Lebanon border near Tal Kalakh, according to Reuters.

Plight of Dorothy Parvez

The missing Al-Jazeera journalist Dorothy Parvez has still not been heard from since she was detained at Damascus Airport by Syrian authorities and deported to Iran on May 1, reported AFP.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement it was “pursuing the issue”.

Parvez, who holds US, Canadian and Iranian passports, has been missing since she flew into Damascus on April 29.