At the worst time of excitement since the Syrian transition government has taken power, hundreds of people were killed or injured in clashes between the security forces and supporters of the deposed president Bashar Al-Assad.
Conflicts broke out on Thursday (6) in the regions of Latakia and Tartous, on the coast of the Mediterranean, areas where the support of the Syrian Alauítas to Assad was strong and that saw outbreaks of sectarian violence in the last three months.
More than 225 people have been killed since Thursday in the clashes, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported on Friday (7).
The UK -based organization said that among the dead were 125 civilians, with SNHR joining the government forces by committing “generalized field executions” of young and adult men “without clear distinction between civilians and others.”
THE CNN You cannot independently check the SNHR numbers and are contacting the Syrian government to get comments on the number of dead.
The country’s government has stated that an “emergency committee” is monitoring the violations and “will forward those who have exceeded the command instructions during the recent military operation and security to the Military Court.”
A Syrian security source told the state news agency Sana on Friday (7) that “individual violations” were perpetrated after “large disorganized crowds” traveled to the area.
The government told CNN that at least 150 members of their security forces have been killed since Thursday and 300 were captured.
Conflict history
The Assad family, members of the Alauite minority sect, ruled Syria for over half a century until Assad was deposed at the end of last year by Sunni Islamic militants who sought to reshape the country’s political and sectarian order.
Who is the family of Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for over half a century
The Alauites of Syria – about 10% of the population – were prominent in the regime of the deposed president and, although many have delivered their weapons since December, others have not done so.
The last increase in violence highlights the challenges that the new Syrian regime faces in increasingly marginalized groups, especially those who remain strongly armed.
Syria’s transition president Ahmad al-Sharaa promised in a televised speech on Friday to pursue those responsible for the death of dozens of security agents.
He also asked security forces to “ensure no excessive or unjustified response to occur” after reports of many civil victims during the clashes.
Recent confrontations
Syrian official news agency said that after several police officers and security agents were killed, “large disorganized crowds moved toward the coast,” citing an interior ministry official.
Anas Khattab, chief of Syrian intelligence, pointed out that “former military and security leaders affiliated with the extinct regime were behind the planning and execution of these crimes.”
According to him, “Operation Treasy” cost the lives of “dozens of our best men in the army, security and police.”
Social media videos published since Thursday show many casualties between Syrian and young security forces in civilian costumes.
A video showed several dead men next to a police vehicle.
Another video geolocalized by CNN He showed mourning women among the bodies of at least 20 men to the undercover who seem to have been shot dead in a village near the city of Al Jinderiyah.
Another photo showed security forces by throwing intensely at night towards a source of fire.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Colonel Hassan Abdel Ghani, said on Friday that “high war criminals” were “scattered in the mountains, without refuge, except the courts, where they will face justice.”
“Do not become fuel for a lost war… The choice is clear: deliver your weapons or face your inevitable destiny,” he said, addressing other Assad supporters.
Other Friday social media images showed substantial military reinforcements converging to the area. The city of Tartous was placed under the touch of collecting until this Saturday.
The videos indicate that the security forces arrived in the Jableh coastal city, near the Russian air base in Hmeimin, and showed clashes and columns of smoke rising near the base.
New images showed government forces entering Al-Qardaha, the hometown of the Assad family, amid explosions and clouds of smoke.
An employee of the Ministry of Defense later confirmed on Friday (7) that security forces performed operations “against the remnants of the Old Regime” in Al-Qardaha, according to Sana.
A geolocalized video on the coast near Jableh showed improvised bombs being released from a military helicopter.
The Syrian Interior Ministry issued a statement on Friday asking “all civilians to stay away from military and security operations.”
He explained that all military and security units have received orders to “strictly comply with the procedures and laws established to protect civilians.”
The Syrian Ministry of Health reported that six hospitals in the rural areas of Latakia and Tartous were attacked on Thursday night by pro-Assad elements, resulting in several deaths.
Abdul Rahman Taleb, activist and journalist of Latakia, reported that he was attacked by Assad supporters on Thursday (6) while covering clashes with Syrian security forces.
“We were besieged for about 12 hours in one of the neighborhoods of Latakia, with remnants of militants spreading around us. “I didn’t expect us to get out alive,” Taleb recalled.
He added that he was sheltered by other Alauites in the area “until the first reinforcements arrived and withdrew us.”
Violence triggered pro and old manifestations in several Syrian cities.
Saudi Arabia, a strong supporter of the new government, condemned what she called “crimes committed by illegal groups” in Syria.
This content was originally published in hundreds of people died in clashes in Syria’s coastal region on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
