THE Syrian government's attempts to conceal the extent of the crackdown in the country have taken on an Orwellian quality. After a final assault early on Sunday morning, elite Syrian troops backed by helicopters and some 200 tanks took control of the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour. State media reported the discovery of mass graves and heavy fighting with residents. Locals, many of whom have fled to Turkey, say that the town is almost empty and any clashes on Sunday were between mutineers and the army. They report crops being burnt and livestock slaughtered in the area.

The onslaught follows what the government said on June 4th was the killing of 120 government forces by "armed gangs". But testimonies from residents with relatives in the town and thousands of refugees fleeing to Turkey suggest the regime is facing the defections of small but significant proportions of its forces who then clashed among themselves. Taped accounts of defections have aired over the weekend on Arab satellite TV channels.

It is becoming harder for the government to sustain its version of events. A spokeswoman suggested last week that those fleeing were visiting relatives in Turkey. But as refugees flood over the border they tell a different story. Some soldiers, expecting to face armed gangs, say they have defected after meeting only unarmed protesters.

The alleged defections, though small in number thus far, have buoyed protesters. But at least 32 people were killed on Friday in protests across the country. Other towns near Jisr al-Shughour were attacked. On Wednesday tanks again swept into restive neighbourhoods in Homs including Khaldiya, where anti-regime graffiti has been spray-painted over, though the words are still decipherable. Gunfire echoed all weekend, from Thursday night when protesters called "Allah-u Akbar" from the safety of their balconies and gardens. On Friday, tank and anti-aircraft fire joined the cacophony as the authorities tried to stop protesters taking to the streets again after prayers. Men under 50 in Baba Amr, an area where houses have been ransacked, said they were prevented from going to the mosque.

People still brave the gunfire. Boys playing football use tanks as goalposts and told the soliders to get lost. Businessmen offer money to the poor and to families who have lost their breadwinners to keep the demonstrations going. Food and baby formula is smuggled into towns still under siege, including Rastan and Telbiseh. Protesters in Homs and elsewhere now turn out every night. Small groups of young men start chanting. Others stand on street corners as lookouts while women trill their protest from their balconies. Old men stand by asking God to protect them all.

Locals say mass graves have been found, and also that bodies have been burned to conceal the evidence of the regime's repression. Children have been plucked from their summer exams to be interrogated about their parents' political inclinations. The UN's refugee agency says over 7,000 Syrians are in Turkey; others suggest the real number may be double that. Many more are waiting to cross the border.

The UN Security Council has failed thus far to get a resolution condemning the Syrian government's actions. Lebanon along with Russia and China is wary. Syria's protesters want president Bashar Assad's rule to be declared illegitimate though they are less keen on any kind of military intervention. No-one believes in dialogue anymore. "I see a Libya-style situation unfolding," says a former parliamentarian. Protesters, until now mostly peaceful, are discussing whether they might have to take up arms. The price of a rifle in Homs has risen from 35,000 Syrian pounds to 135,000 in just over a month.