Militants loyal to ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad have carried out ambushes in the coastal province of Latakia, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 security personnel, a security source informed Al Jazeera.
The incidents occurred on Thursday near the town of Jableh in the Latakia countryside, an area predominantly inhabited by the Alawite minority group, to which the al-Assad family belongs.
According to a security source from Syria, 15 security personnel were killed in “various armed ambushes.”
“The Syrian government will ensure that all groups operating outside the law are brought to justice and will not tolerate any threats to security,” the source stated.
Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar mentioned that tensions are high following the attacks.
“Since the downfall of the Assad regime three months ago, this represents one of the most significant security challenges faced by the new government,” he remarked.
Serdar also reported that the central government had dispatched reinforcements, including numerous military vehicles, from various governorates such as Hama, Homs, and Idlib to Latakia in response to the attacks.
Shortly after the incidents, a video was released by a former Assad-era commander announcing the formation of a resistance group called the “coastal shield regiment” against the new government, Serdar added.
The security director of Latakia province had previously informed the Syrian state news agency SANA that security forces were engaged in clashes with armed groups loyal to former special forces commander Suhail al-Hassan in the Latakia countryside.
Security forces in Latakia declared that the situation is now under control, with several attackers killed and “many more captured,” Serdar reported. A curfew was also imposed in the coastal city of Tartous.
Syria’s Mediterranean coastal regions have posed a significant security challenge for interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa as his government strives to solidify control over the country.
