TEHRAN Deadly clashes have erupted on the Syrian coast, leaving more than 70 dead, along with dozens of injuries and captives.According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 71 people were killed in Latakia, western Syria, due to clashes between security forces and armed fighters.In a social media post, the Observatory reported, More than 70 people were killed, and dozens were injured or captured in violent clashes and ambushes on the Syrian coast between members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior and armed groups from the former regimes army.Local Syrian sources informed regional news outlets that military reinforcements had been sent to the Mediterranean coastal cityof Jableh and its surroundings to support the Public Security Forces.Additionally, the Public Security Administration in Homs and Tartous imposed a general curfew from 10:00 PM until 10:00 AM.
It was not immediately clear when the curfew will be lifted.
This development followed the killing of more than ten security personnel in clashes with armed groups near Jableh.Security forces deployed helicopters during the battle to target fighters they claimed were loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, according to the Observatory.A previous report from the Observatory recorded at least 48 deaths in the intense fighting around Jableh and rural Latakia.These included 28 anti-government fighters, four civilians killed by security forces, and 16 security personnel.The Observatory described these clashes as the most violent since the fall of the previous government.On Friday morning, the SANA news agency reported that the Public Security Administration had begun large-scale security sweeps in city centers, villages, and surrounding mountains in Tartous and Latakia provinces following the arrival of military reinforcements.A security official stated that the operation aims to eliminate the remnants of Assads militias and their supporters, calling on civilians to stay indoors and report any suspicious movements immediately.Restoring security across Syria has been one of the biggest challenges for interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa since he took office in Damascus.The country remains divided, with various anti-government armed factions operating in different provinces after 13 years of devastating war.Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Knefati, Director of the General Security Department in Lattakia, stated, In a well-coordinated and pre-planned attack, multiple groups of Assads militia remnants targeted our checkpoints and patrols in Jableh and its surroundings, resulting in many casualties among our forces.He did not specify the exact number of casualties.We absorbed their treacherous attack, and we will eliminate them.
We will restore stability and protect our peoples property, he added.According to SANA, the Syrian Ministry of Defense has sent massive military reinforcements to Jableh and its surrounding areas.Unverified videos circulating on social media allegedly show unarmed members of the Alawite sect being summarily executed.BackgroundThe escalation in Jableh followed clashes between security forces and armed groups that authorities described as followers of war criminal Suheil al-Hassan, a former Syrian army colonel under the Assad government.Tensions initially flared in the village of Beit Aana, Hassans hometown, after residents forcibly prevented security forces from arresting a wanted individual, according to the Syrian Observatory.In response, security forces launched a crackdown in the area, sparking further clashes.The Observatory later reported that Syrian helicopters bombed armed groups in Beit Aana and nearby forests, accompanied by artillery shelling on a neighboring village.The unrest in Latakias countryside came shortly after security forces had carried out a campaign in a neighborhood of Latakia city on Tuesday, resulting in at least four civilian deaths, according to the Observatory.Fifteen people lost their lives in clashes in Deraa, southern Syria, on Tuesday and Wednesday when government forces tried to enter a town held by a pro-Assad group.Condemnation and calls for international protectionThe Syrian airstrikes and shelling created widespread panic among civilians, according to the Observatory.Some areas of the Syrian coast saw protests on Thursday against the new governments security measures.Similar demonstrations occurred in Suwayda (southern Syria), rejecting what protesters called the de facto authority of the government led by al-Sharaa in Damascus.The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the diaspora condemned the bombing of civilian homes in a statement posted on social media.The council called on people across Syria, particularly in the coastal region, to hold peaceful sit-ins on Friday afternoon to speak out against injustice.Demonstrations were planned in Latakia, Tartous, Damascus, and Homs.On Friday morning, the council issued another statement urging the United Nations, Russia, and the international community to place the Syrian coast and Alawite areas under UN protection and enforce Chapter VII of the UN Charter to protect the Alawite community and other minorities.Pro-government gatherings and calls for JihadIn contrast, as news spread that security personnel had been killed, most of them from Idlib province, a stronghold of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) loyalists gathered in Idlib city to support the military leadership, according to AFP.Mosques broadcasted calls for Jihad against the armed groups on the Syrian coast.Latakia, a city with a predominantly Alawite population, experienced significant unrest in the early days after the fall of the previous government.
However, security tensions have eased in recent months.Human rights organizations have reported government abuses against Alawite communities.
These include property seizures, summary executions, and kidnappings.