Syria: Eyewitnesses said that thousands of residents of Maarat al-Numan in northern Syria fled as army tanks approached the town. Tanks were also positioned in Deir al-Zour and Abu Kamal, near the border with Iraq. The army was not present in Damascus, however, where thousands gathered in solidarity with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Anti-regime activists are calling for a protest on Friday that will be named after Sheikh Saleh al-Ali, a historic hero of the Syrian revolution who rebelled against French colonialism. Activists are seeking to affirm that their mobilization is a national one that crosses narrow ethnic and sectarian lines and aims to build a free Syria. 

Bahrain: Fresh protests swept through various regions of the country today. Saudi-backed Bahraini forces using live bullets and tear gas swiftly confronted the protestors. Residents of the Sitra region organized a march in solidarity with detainees in Bahraini prisons. Protestors in Sanabis chanted slogans saying the downfall of the regime is necessary before any dialogue with the Bahraini government can begin. Other Bahraini villages witnessed nightly protests condemning the international silence surrounding the government’s extreme repression of protests.  

Yemen: The Gulf Cooperation Council has offered to resume its mediation efforts in Yemen, if requested by either side. The revolution youths are mobilizing to form a transitional council, as the 24-hour ultimatum given to the acting Yemeni president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, has expired. Sit-in groups in Change Square have called on the GCC to support the will of the people and to help form and recognize a transitional council. They also called for the toppling of what they referred to as "the remnants of the regime."