In Syria, the security forces are currently in a fierce battle with gunmen who are loyal to the deposed President Bashar al-Assad in the coastal region for the second consecutive day. Reports indicate that dozens of individuals have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.
Authorities in Syria have stated that the remnants of the previous al-Assad regime launched a well-planned and deadly attack on their forces in Latakia on Thursday.
The police chief of Latakia informed Al Jazeera that the city was ultimately secured on Friday afternoon, and the siege on military and security sites had been lifted. However, clashes are still ongoing in other areas.
Although an official death toll has not been released by authorities, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported on Friday that more than 70 individuals, including security forces, gunmen, and a few civilians, have been killed in the fighting.
Al Jazeera has not been able to independently verify the death toll.
State media reported that the government forces deployed significant reinforcements overnight to Latakia, Tartous, and nearby towns and villages, which are strongholds of the minority Alawite sect and are supportive of al-Assad. The aim was to regain control of the situation.
A curfew has been imposed in Latakia and Tartous until Saturday.
The recent violence has disrupted interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s attempts to solidify control amidst efforts to have United States sanctions lifted. The administration is also facing broader security challenges, particularly in the southwest where Israel has announced intentions to prevent Damascus from deploying forces.
Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar stated that security forces have achieved “complete control” of Latakia, have entered Tartous, and are strategically positioning themselves in the city center.
“Although fighting is ongoing in Banias, which is a town near Tartous, security forces have managed to secure the surrounding areas,” Serdar reported.
The Turkish government issued a warning against “provocations” in Latakia province on Friday, emphasizing the threat to peace that such actions pose.
The violence against the Alawite community has escalated since al-Assad’s fall, particularly in rural Homs and Latakia, according to Alawite activists.
Despite al-Sharaa’s commitment to govern Syria inclusively, there have been no announced meetings between him and prominent Alawite figures, unlike meetings with representatives of other minority groups such as Kurds, Christians, and Druze.
A statement released by the Alawite Islamic Council, a group of Alawite leaders, blamed the government for the violence, accusing them of sending military convoys to the coast under the pretext of dealing with “regime remnants” to instill fear and harm Syrians. The council called for the coastal region to be placed under UN protection.
Under al-Assad’s rule, Alawite community members held key positions in the military and security agencies. The new government has attributed recent attacks against the country’s security forces to loyalists of the former regime.
