Members of the Syrian police have been ambushed and killed by forces loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad in the Tartous governorate, in a significant escalation of violence. This incident presents a serious security challenge for the newly established administration that took power just two weeks ago.
Syria’s newly installed interior minister, Mohammed Abdul Rahman, said on Thursday remnants of the Assad regime have killed 14 police officers in Tartous and wounded 10. He promised to act aggressively against those threatening security in Syria or threatening Syrian citizens.
The attack coincided with protests breaking out in several cities after the release of a shocking video showing the desecration of an Alawite shrine in Aleppo. In response, police declared curfews in Homs, Latakia, Jableh, and Tartous, effective until 8 a.m. (05:00 GMT). It is not known if those curfews have since been rescinded.
The video shows people with guns inside the shrine and around human remains and is reportedly from a rebel offensive in Aleppo in late November, the interior ministry said through its official Telegram account. According to ministry sources, unknown groups were responsible for the violence in recent weeks, warning that those spreading the video seemed to incite sectarian conflict.
State media reported that in Homs the demonstrations were largely led by Alawites and other Shia Muslim sects. Some residents thought this was the response to increased violence and pressure brought against the Alawite minority, who, traditionally loyal to al-Assad, was tested when on December 8 opposition forces from HTS captured Damascus, thereby ending more than five decades of rule of the Baath Party.
Al Jazeera correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Damascus, described the situation as extremely fragile, with recent flashpoints particularly concentrated in the Alawite strongholds of Latakia and Tartous, as well as Homs and Aleppo. He added that the new administration has deployed significant reinforcements to the security forces in an effort to quell rising tensions.
Late-night discussions among the new leadership centered on strategies to address the threat posed by what they term the remnants of the old regime, specifically targeting members of the Fourth Division, the elite presidential guard loyal to Maher al-Assad, the former president’s brother. However, concerns linger regarding the potential for violent confrontations.
Bashar al-Assad, who succeeded his father as president in 2000, was forced to flee to Russia after opposition forces took over Damascus, a dramatic turn of events in Syria’s political landscape.
A set of new leaders has reportedly come out and vowed continuously to protect the rights of other minority religious groups against perceived future persecution under the now running current regime. Moreover, more and fresh killings coupled with injuries have been said to have occurred in separate incidences blamed on old forces of the previous regimes.
