'Iran, Hezbollah assisting in Syria protest suppression'

Jpost.com - Protesters report hearing security forces speaking Farsi; death toll estimates rise to 100 since riots erupted nine days ago.

Israel has raised concerns that Iran and Hezbollah are participating in the suppression of demonstrations in Syria, reported Army Radio on Sunday.

The report states that according to a Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem, local protesters have said that some of the security guards that are dispersing the protests have been speaking in Farsi, and this fact proves the close ties between Damascus and Tehran.

Israel estimated that in the coming days it will be possible to see Iranian involvement in dispersing the protests in Syria.

"Syria is an Iranian acquisition, and it is clear that Iran is afraid that its investments will go down the drain. So it has allowed for greater involvement than in other Arab countries," Army Radio reported Foreign Ministry officials as saying.

The exact death toll since the riots erupted nine days ago is unknown, however according to some estimates it has reached 100, the report stated.

The focus of the violence is concentrated in the southern city of Deraa near the Jordanian border, where 20 civilians were killed in weekend protests. The demonstrations also spread to the port city of Latakia and to Damascus.

On Saturday, thousands of mourners at a funeral for a Syrian killed in anti-government protests burned a ruling Baath party building and a police station as authorities freed 260 prisoners in a bid to placate reformists.