In Syria’s coastline area, troops have fought against gunmen who support former President Bashar al-Assad. The bloodiest unrest since rebels overthrew the former regime in December 2023 is said to have slain scores of individuals.
According to a spokesman for the Syrian Defense Ministry, al-Assadist militants assaulted security troops in multiple locations across the governorates of Tartous and Latakia. The Alawite community sect resides in these areas. This group of people includes the Al-Assad family. Hasan Abdel-Ghani said the strikes were organized and killed several police officers.
No official death toll has been announced by officials. Yesterday, two days into the fighting, war monitors reported that over 130 individuals had been slain. Security personnel, shooters, and civilians were among the deceased.
When officials reported that a number of militias affiliated with Assad targeted specific sites on Thursday, the bloodshed escalated. Targets included checks and inspections in the Jableh region and the neighboring region.
A day later, government-aligned gunmen overran the coastal Syrian towns of Sheer, Mukhtariyeh, and Haffah. They set their homes on fire and murdered scores of guys. Over 30 males were slain in Mukhtariyeh, according to Al Mayadeen TV. Before being put to death, the victims, mostly men, were kept apart from other family members.
According to the Syrian official news outlet, “individual violations” had been committed. SANA clarified that after the assaults on law enforcement officers, sizable, unorganized groups moved to the coastline area.
Following the uprisings, government had lost authority over a number of districts. However, a massive security operation was conducted in Tartous, and Latakia by troops from multiple other provinces and regions.
Temporary Lockdown
According to the head of police in Latakia, the town was under lockdown on Friday. While fighting was still going on elsewhere, the blockade had been eased on armed and police installations.
Tartous and Latakia, two coastal cities, were placed under curfew on Friday. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the acting president, has been unable to maintain power due to the unrest. Removing US sanctions has been a main challenge for the fresh government. Additionally, it faces broader security issues, particularly in the southwestern regions. Israel has declared that it will stop Syrian armed forces from sending troops to the region.
On Friday, crowds congregated near the largest Russian air facility in Syria, which is close to the city of Jableh. They requested Moscow’s assistance for their safety.
A decade ago, Russia entered the Syrian conflict. Although it initially supported al-Assad, it has recently forged connections with the new leadership following his overthrow.
Al-Assad left Syria last year and has been residing in Moscow ever since.
Russia was prepared to supervise de-escalation operations, according to a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Maria Zakharova called on powerful Syrian authorities to cease the violence as quickly as feasible.
Tehran issued a warning yesterday that unrest in the area could result from the turmoil in Syria. According to a foreign ministry official, Iran firmly rejects insecurity, brutality, and the murder and hurting of defenseless Syrian people from all groups and tribes.
