Protests rock government-held areas in southern Syria as economy crumbles

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB and BASSEM MROUE
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say protests have broken out in two government-held provinces in the south amid widespread anger over increasing prices, the crash of the Syrian pound and the dwindling purchasing power of many people in the war-torn country. The rare protests are still limited to the southern province of Sweida and Daraa and are far from government strongholds along the Mediterranean coast, the capital Damascus and the largest cities, including Aleppo and Homs. The protests come a week after Syrian President Bashar Assad issued two decrees doubling public sector wages and pensions, sparking inflation and compounding economic woes for others.