No less than 70 folks have been killed and dozens wounded in in a single day clashes between the brand new authorities in Syria and gunmen loyal to the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad, a battle monitor mentioned, within the bloodiest skirmishes because the collapse of the Assad authorities.
The combating unfolded in Latakia and Tartous provinces, longtime strongholds for Mr. al-Assad alongside Syria’s Mediterranean coast. It got here hours after the killing of 16 safety personnel by Assad loyalists within the Latakia countryside on Thursday afternoon, the deadliest assault but on Syria’s new safety forces.
1000’s of protesters flooded streets within the cities of Latakia and Tartous to demand that authorities forces stand down and withdraw from the countryside, the primary wide-scale demonstrations towards the brand new authorities since they assumed energy in December.
The federal government deployed extra safety forces to the coast late Thursday evening to revive order. On Friday morning, authorities convoys have been patrolling the roads of each cities, and residents have been instructed to remain dwelling as safety forces carried out “combing operations” geared toward armed remnants of the Assad regime, in keeping with state media.
“1000’s have chosen to give up their weapons and return to their households, whereas some insist on fleeing” justice and persevering with to combat, a spokesman for the Syrian Ministry of Protection, Col. Hassan Abdul Ghani, instructed the state-run Syrian Arab Information Company. “The selection is evident: Lay down your weapons or face your inevitable destiny,” he added.
The flaring tensions have develop into a essential take a look at for Syria’s new leaders, whose insurgent coalition toppled the Assad regime and put in an Islamist transitional authorities that has sought to consolidate management.
The coastal provinces have posed a big problem for the Sunni Muslim-led authorities because it exerts its authority. The area is the heartland of Syria’s Alawite minority, together with the Assad household.
Regardless of making up solely 10 % of the nation’s inhabitants, the Alawites exerted outsized affect over the nation throughout the Assad household’s greater than 50 12 months rule. The Alawites, who follow an offshoot of Shiite Islam, dominated the ruling class and higher ranks of the navy beneath the Assad authorities.
Since seizing energy, Syria’s new leaders have confronted sporadic hit-and-run assaults on their forces in Latakia and Tartous by armed males affiliated with the Assad authorities.
The brand new authorities has referred to as on all members of Mr. al-Assad’s safety forces to relinquish their ties to the previous authorities and give up their weapons and automobiles to the brand new authorities at “reconciliation facilities.”
The authorities haven’t promised blanket amnesty to those that accomplish that, and plenty of remnants of the previous authorities have refused to participate within the course of.
The in a single day skirmishes got here hours after safety personnel carried out an operation within the Latakia countryside to arrest an official from the Assad authorities, in keeping with a authorities official who requested to not be recognized as a result of he was not licensed to talk to the information media.
Because the safety forces left one village, Beit Aana, gunmen ambushed their convoy, mentioned village residents and the official. No less than 16 safety personnel have been killed, in keeping with the battle monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Beit Aana ambush sparked further clashes between authorities forces and armed Assad loyalists in rural Latakia.
Artillery and machine-gun fireplace rang out throughout the world all through the afternoon as a whole lot of individuals from Beit Aana and close by villages fled to the countryside, the residents mentioned. It was not instantly clear whether or not any civilians or Assad loyalists had been killed.
As information of the clashes unfold, protests erupted in main cities throughout Syria, some supporting the federal government and others demanding that its forces stand down on the coast.
In Tartous, a port metropolis, protesters chanted, “One, one, one — Tartous and Jableh are one,” referring to the world, Jableh, the place the clashes had unfolded, in keeping with residents.
In different elements of the nation, together with the cities of Homs and Idlib, 1000’s of individuals joined protests to help the federal government. Some referred to as for a crackdown on armed remnants of the Assad authorities.
The authorities imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday in lots of main cities, in keeping with the Syrian Arab Information Company.
By Friday morning, few folks in Tartous and Latakia gave the impression to be venturing exterior their houses because the safety convoys patrolled the streets.
Reham Mourshed contributed reporting.
