LATAKIA, SYRIA:
Syria’s newly established authorities announced on Monday the conclusion of a major operation targeting loyalists of former president Bashar al-Assad. The crackdown followed intense violence that resulted in nearly 1,000 civilian deaths, marking the deadliest period since Assad’s removal from power.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 973 civilians were killed since Thursday, with the vast majority belonging to the Alawite minority. Reports indicate that security forces and allied factions carried out mass executions in the coastal regions, where the Alawite community—Assad’s sect—predominantly resides.
The recent unrest in Latakia and Tartus provinces posed a significant threat to Syria’s fragile transition after decades of Assad family rule. However, Defense Ministry spokesperson Hassan Abdul Ghani stated via the official news agency SANA that the large-scale “military operation” against security threats and remnants of the previous regime had officially ended.
The declaration followed comments from interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of the Islamist faction that led the offensive to remove Assad on December 8. Sharaa reassured the nation that Syria would not be plunged into another civil war.
“Syria will not allow any foreign or domestic forces to destabilize the country or push it back into chaos,” Sharaa said in a statement published by SANA.
He also promised to hold those responsible for civilian casualties accountable, vowing strict measures against anyone who violated state authority or participated in bloodshed.
In Jableh, a town in Latakia province, a distressed resident—speaking anonymously due to security concerns—described harrowing scenes of violence. “More than 50 people among my relatives and friends have been killed. Bodies were collected with bulldozers and buried in mass graves,” the resident told AFP, breaking into tears.
While some areas have begun to regain a semblance of normalcy, fear still lingers among residents, with many hesitant to leave their homes after dark due to security concerns and shortages of essential supplies.
“Today, Latakia feels a little calmer. People are starting to go outside after enduring five days of terror and uncertainty,” said Farah, a 22-year-old university student who only provided her first name.
However, she noted that the atmosphere remained tense. “Once it gets past six o’clock, the streets empty out completely. The neighborhood feels like a ghost town,” she added.
The violent clashes erupted on Thursday after armed supporters of the ousted president launched an attack against the country’s new security forces, igniting a deadly confrontation.
