- विज्ञापन -
Damascus: More than 1,000 people have been killed in just two days of intense clashes between Syrian security forces, allied militias, and supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, according to a war monitoring group.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), based in the UK, reported that the violence spanned over 20 locations across Syria’s Latakia, Tartus, and Hama governorates, marking one of the deadliest periods in Syria’s ongoing 14-year conflict. The death toll includes 745 civilians, most of whom were killed in close-range shootings, as well as 125 members of the government security forces and 148 militants loyal to Assad.
The majority of the civilians killed were from the Alawite religious minority, which has long been a strong base of support for the Assad regime.
Syria’s interim government deployed reinforcements to coastal cities in the northwest of the country on Saturday, where intense fighting has been ongoing between security forces and Assad loyalists. Reports suggest that security forces have regained control of much of the Tartous and Latakia regions, where Assad’s supporters launched coordinated attacks on checkpoints, security convoys, and military positions on Thursday.
Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported that after the attacks, many people from the area sought revenge, leading to some violations. Authorities have stated that efforts are underway to halt these actions.
A curfew remains in effect in Latakia and other coastal areas, which are home to the Alawite sect, Assad’s primary supporters. Amid the violence, several civilians and former regime members, along with their families, have sought refuge at the Russian Khmeimim base in the Latakia countryside.
In his first public statement since the violence escalated, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday urged the fighters to lay down their weapons and surrender, warning them “before it is too late.”
