( CNN ) -- Syrian opposition groups said Saturday that they have formed a breakaway government , but many details were yet to emerge . The Local Coordination Committees , which organizes and documents protests against the Syrian regime , said 188 seats have so far been assigned to the council , but it may be 24 hours before the announcement of a presidential body . Groups including the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria , the Revolution Forces , the Public Council for Revolution Forces and the Superior Council of the Revolution have all joined the LCC in the opposition government , the LCC said Saturday . The groups are trying to create a Syrian National Council aimed at toppling the regime of President Bashar al-Assad . Syria has been locked in a violent months-long uprising that has seen security forces clash with anti-government protesters calling for free elections and the end of al-Assad 's rule . Activists said at least eight people died in protests and random shootings on Saturday , a day after the government said 13 security forces and three civilians died in clashes and an opposition group said 23 people , mostly civilians , died in the fighting . Activists also said women marched near the presidential palace in Damascus on Saturday , demanding the fall of the regime , the release of detainees and the lifting of blockades throughout the country . CNN is unable to independently confirm the claims . Al-Assad , who has characterized the protesters as `` armed gangs , '' has insisted his security forces are battling terrorists intent on targeting civilians and fomenting unrest . The United States , the European Union and a number of Arab countries have called an al-Assad to end the crackdown and step down . Tensions between the United States and Syria escalated after the Syrian ambassador to the U.S. was called Friday to the State Department over an attempted attack a day earlier in Damascus on American Ambassador Robert Ford , spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters . `` The ambassador was reminded that Ambassador Ford is the personal representative of the president , and an attack on Ford is an attack on the United States , '' Nuland said . About 100 pro-government protesters tried to storm a meeting between Ford and opposition leader Hassan Abdelazim , trapping Ford and others for more than an hour . Later , his convoy was attacked . The al-Assad regime had earlier accused Washington of inciting `` armed groups '' into violence against its security forces . Nuland said Ambassador Imad Mustapha was asked to compensate the United States for damage to the vehicles . In a Facebook post Friday , Ford said he respected `` peaceful protest '' -- including by pro-government factions to express their opposition to him and U.S. policy -- but insisted that Thursday 's incident was `` not peaceful . '' He described demonstrators wielding iron bars ; throwing tomatoes , eggs and concrete blocks ; attacking embassy vehicles ; and trying to break into Azim 's office . `` Americans understand that we are seeing the ugly side of the Syrian regime , which uses brutal force , repression and intimidation to stay in power , '' Ford wrote . `` We deeply feel for the Syrian families that are enduring the violence , killings and torture and pain . We hope that Syrians find solutions to the crisis soon , but we strongly doubt that the regime 's terrorizing the population will end the crisis . '' Syrian state-run media , citing the Foreign Ministry , reported Friday that `` necessary measures '' had been taken to protect Ford . Taking a page from the success of Libya 's National Transitional Council , Syrian opposition groups meeting in Istanbul worked together to bring the various groups under one opposition umbrella . Among those expected to be represented by the National Council are the Muslim Brotherhood , the Assyrian Organization and the General Authority of the Syrian Revolution , the LCC said . The LCC does not identify its membership out of a fear of reprisals by al-Assad 's security forces . CNN can not independently verify the claims of the group because the Syrian government has denied international journalists access to the country . The meeting concluded the same day news broke that prominent anti-government activist Marwa al-Ghemyan was detained Friday by Syrian security forces at the Damascus airport . Al-Ghemyan was detained as she was preparing to depart the capital and taken to a military security building , the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement . The opposition group , which documents Syria 's anti-government movement , did not say how it confirmed her detention . Al-Ghemyan was previously detained by Syrian forces on March 4 and released on March 21 , the group said . CNN 's Elise Labott , Hamdi Alkhshali and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report .
NEW : Syrians opposition say they have formed breakaway government council . NEW : Many details have yet to emerge on the new CNN . NEW : Activists say 188 people die in clashes and random gunfire on Friday . Syrian ambassador summoned over attack against Istanbul ambassador , an official says .