VIDEO - Protests continued in southern Syria Monday as demonstrators tore down the statue of Hafez al-Assad, Syria's former president, al-Arabiya reported. It remains unclear whether the statue was torn town Monday or last week as some opposition websites claim.

Protestors in the city of Deraa burned the house of the ousted district governor as well as the ruling party's HQ and a local culture ministry office. Al-Arabiya also reported that Syrian army tanks arrived in the city on Sunday.





Hafez al-Assad statue in better days (Photo: Getty Images)

Thousands of mourners marched at the funeral of 23-year-old Raed al-Kerad who died on Sunday, the latest of five protesters to be killed by security forces.

Mourners chanted slogans demanding political freedom and an end to corruption. "God, Syria, freedom. The people want the overthrow of corruption," they chanted.

Watch protestors burn ruling party building

Hundreds of people also demonstrated against the Syrian government in the town of Jassem on Monday, activists said. "They are staging a sit-in the centre of the town," one of the activists said.

On Sunday, at least five people were killed and 60 were injured after Syrian officers used live ammunition to disperse protests.

Tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets as a governmental delegation arrived in Deraa to console families mourning for loved ones killed in previous demonstrations.

The officials promised to release 15 detainees but the protestors remained undeterred. The mourners later gathered at the al-Omari mosque in the old quarter of Deraa near the border with Jordan.

Reuters contributed to this report