Over 70 killed in Syria as Assad loyalists clash with security forces

PanARMENIAN.Net - More than 70 people have lost their lives, and many others have been injured in Syria as violent clashes erupted between government security forces and militants loyal to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, a war monitor said, according to Al-Arabiya.

“For more than 70 killed and dozens wounded and captured in bloody clashes and ambushes on the Syrian coast between members of the Ministry of Defense and Interior and militants from the defunct regime’s army,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated in a post on X.

The organization had earlier reported that on Thursday, fighting between government troops and al-Assad loyalists in the coastal town of Jableh and surrounding villages resulted in 48 deaths. It described the violence as “the most violent attacks against the new authorities since al-Assad was toppled” in December.

The total number of casualties from the week’s unrest remains unclear.

According to the Observatory, pro-al-Assad militants killed 16 security personnel, while 28 fighters aligned with the deposed leader and four civilians also died in the conflict.

The earlier confrontations took place in Latakia province, a coastal region known as the stronghold of al-Assad’s Alawite sect, which was a key support base during his rule.

Mustafa Kneifati, a security official in Latakia, stated that in “a well-planned and premeditated attack, several groups of al-Assad militia remnants attacked our positions and checkpoints,” targeting security patrols in Jableh.

The attacks led to “numerous martyrs and injured among our forces,” he said, without specifying the number of casualties.

Kneifati asserted that security forces would take action to eliminate the threat.

“We will restore stability to the region and protect the property of our people,” he declared.

According to the Observatory, most of the slain security personnel originated from Idlib, a former opposition stronghold in northwestern Syria.

During the operation, security forces apprehended a former chief of air force intelligence, a key figure in al-Assad’s security network, as reported by the state news agency SANA.

“Our forces in the city of Jableh managed to arrest the criminal General Ibrahim Huweija,” SANA stated.

“He is accused of hundreds of assassinations during the era of the criminal Hafez al-Assad,” Bashar al-Assad’s father and predecessor.

Huweija, who led air force intelligence from 1987 to 2002, has long been suspected of involvement in the 1977 killing of Lebanese Druze leader Kamal Bek Jumblatt.

The provincial security director reported that clashes erupted in another village in Latakia, where security forces confronted gunmen loyal to a former al-Assad-era special forces commander. Reports also surfaced about helicopter strikes launched by authorities.

“The armed groups that our security forces were clashing with in the Latakia countryside were affiliated with the war criminal Suhail al-Hassan,” the security director told SANA.

Al-Hassan, known as “The Tiger,” once commanded Syria’s special forces and was considered one of al-Assad’s closest military allies. He played a key role in securing military victories for the al-Assad government in 2015.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had previously reported “strikes launched by Syrian helicopters on armed men in the village of Beit Ana and the surrounding forests, coinciding with artillery strikes on a neighboring village.”

According to SANA, pro-al-Assad militias fired on “members and equipment of the defense ministry” near the village, resulting in the death of one security officer and injuries to two others.

A defense ministry source later informed SANA that substantial military reinforcements were being sent to the Jableh area.

Alawite community leaders issued a statement on Facebook calling for “peaceful protests” in response to the helicopter strikes, which they claimed targeted “the homes of civilians.”

Security forces imposed overnight curfews in Alawite-majority regions, including Latakia, the port city of Tartus, and the inland city of Homs, according to SANA.

Elsewhere in Syria, crowds gathered to show their “support for the security forces,” the report added.

Tensions flared after residents of Beit Ana, the hometown of Suhail al-Hassan, blocked security forces from apprehending an individual accused of arms trafficking, according to the Observatory.

Security forces responded by launching an operation in the area, leading to confrontations with armed militants.

The killing of at least four civilians during a security operation in Latakia also contributed to rising tensions, the war monitor reported on Wednesday.

Security forces initiated the crackdown in the city’s Daatour neighborhood on Tuesday following an ambush by “members of the remnants of al-Assad militias,” which resulted in the deaths of two security officers, state media reported.

The ousting of al-Assad on December 8 followed a swift offensive led by extremist rebels under the command of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Since then, the newly established security forces have launched extensive operations aimed at eradicating al-Assad loyalists from former strongholds.

Reports from residents and rights organizations have alleged violations during these campaigns, including home seizures, summary executions, and kidnappings.

Syria’s new authorities have described these incidents as “isolated” and have pledged to hold perpetrators accountable.