By Adham Kako

ANKARA

Mai Skaf, a Syrian actress known for her vocal support of the uprising against the Assad regime, has died in Paris of a heart attack, Syrian opposition sources said Tuesday.

Known for her roles in Syrian television dramas and theatrical plays, Skaf had taken part in the anti-regime demonstrations that first erupted in Syria in early 2011. 

After being arrested several times by regime forces in the period from 2011 to 2013, Skaf later migrated to France, where she became a symbol of Syria’s anti-regime opposition. 

Skaf was 49 years old at the time of her death.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story in Ankara