Damascus (Agencies): Fierce clashes have erupted in Syria’s coastal region as security forces battle gunmen loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad, marking the deadliest violence since opposition fighters overthrew the regime last year. Reports indicate that dozens have been killed over two days of fighting in Latakia and Tartous governorates, home to the Alawite minority sect to which the al-Assad family belongs.
According to Syrian Defence Ministry spokesperson Hasan Abdel-Ghani, armed groups attacked security forces in multiple locations on Thursday, executing well-coordinated assaults that resulted in several casualties. While Syrian authorities have not provided an official death toll, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that more than 130 people have been killed, including security personnel, pro-Assad fighters, and civilians.
The violence escalated as Assad-aligned militias targeted security patrols and checkpoints in the Jableh area before expanding their attacks. On Friday, pro-Assad gunmen stormed villages near Syria’s coast, including Sheer, Mukhtariyeh, and Haffah, killing dozens of men. Reports from Beirut-based Al Mayadeen TV claimed that over 30 men were executed in Mukhtariyeh after being separated from women and children.
Syrian state news agency SANA described the unrest as “individual violations” by unorganized groups, while authorities pledged to restore order. Media reports suggest that government forces temporarily lost control of several neighborhoods, but security reinforcements were deployed to conduct a large-scale operation in Latakia, Tartous, and Banias.
By Friday afternoon, Latakia’s police chief told Al Jazeera that the city had been secured and a siege on military and security sites had been lifted. However, clashes persisted in other areas. Curfews have now been imposed in Latakia and Tartous in an effort to contain the situation.