Security forces fired on protesters in a show of force after Friday prayers in Daraa, leaving at least 22 unarmed civilians dead, a doctor told CNN.
But the government had a different account, saying 19 security force members were killed in the violence.
A tense calm settled on the restive southern city as evening approached, but it seethed over the bloodshed and conflict.
The doctor said more than 40 people were injured, and of the dead, five had been returned to their families for burial. Dozens of people complained of breathing problems from tear gas.
Wissam Tarif, a human rights activist outside Damascus who had received reports about the unfolding violence, said security forces also were arresting protesters.
Daraa was one of several cities where protesters took to the streets Friday, and Amnesty International said unarmed people calling "for greater freedoms were reportedly attacked by security forces firing live ammunition."
"The alarming reports coming from Syria today show that the authorities have not altered their violent methods for dealing with dissent," said Philip Luther, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty International. Read More
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