Syria’s new rebel-led government reports that loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad killed 14 interior ministry troops in an “ambush” near the Mediterranean port city of Tartous. This region is a stronghold for Assad’s minority Alawite Muslim sect. Additionally, 10 other troops were reportedly injured during the Tuesday clashes.
This confrontation marks the first direct challenge to the authority of Syria’s new de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa. Assad’s presidency was overthrown by rebel forces led by al-Sharaa’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) faction just over two weeks ago.
In response to the clashes, security forces launched an operation in Tartous province on Thursday to “restore security, stability, and civil peace,” according to state news agency Sana. The agency claimed that security forces had “neutralised… a number of remnants of Assad’s militias” and were actively pursuing others in the Tartous countryside. Reports indicate that the ambush occurred as forces attempted to arrest a former officer linked to abuses at the notorious Saydnaya prison near Damascus.
The UK-based monitoring group, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported that three unidentified “armed men” were also killed in the clashes. The group added that reinforcements were later brought in by the security forces.
In a related development, the Syrian authorities imposed an overnight curfew in Homs, following unrest triggered by a video allegedly showing an attack on an Alawite shrine. State media stated that the footage was old and dated back to a rebel offensive on Aleppo in late November. The interior ministry blamed unknown groups for the violence, but the SOHR reported one demonstrator dead and five others wounded in the Homs unrest.
The newly established government faces the immense task of providing safety and stability across Syria while addressing grievances from various communities. Many Syrians are demanding justice for atrocities committed during Assad’s regime, including the torture and deaths of tens of thousands in Syrian prisons. Families of the victims continue to call for accountability.
Demonstrations have been reported in Alawite-majority areas, including Tartous, Latakia, and Assad’s hometown of Qardaha. The Alawite community, closely associated with the former regime, fears retaliation for its role in Assad’s rule. Calls from Alawite religious leaders for a general amnesty have been met with skepticism, as many members of the community are implicated in alleged war crimes.
Resistance from former officers refusing to surrender weapons and reports of communities preparing to fight back underline the fragile state of stability in the region. The situation in Tartous exemplifies the challenge, where local tensions erupted into violence. Al-Sharaa’s efforts to bolster security in Alawite towns aim to maintain order, but any aggressive campaign to arrest Assad loyalists risks further destabilizing the country.
The HTS-led rebellion, which began in Syria’s northeast and swiftly spread across the country, ended over 50 years of Assad family rule. Bashar al-Assad and his family have since fled to Russia. HTS has pledged to protect the rights of Syria’s diverse religious and ethnic minorities, but skepticism remains due to the group’s designation as a terrorist organization by the UN, US, EU, UK, and others.
On Tuesday, protests erupted over the burning of a Christmas tree, sparking renewed calls for the new government to safeguard minority rights and freedoms. The situation underscores the delicate balance the new authorities must maintain to ensure stability in a deeply divided country.
