Forces loyal to ex-Assad regime kill 14 as Syria sees upsurge in violence

By Sherif Tarek  Forces loyal to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad killed 14 police members and wounded 10 others, according to the caretaker government, as the country experiences its worst violence since the autocrat’s toppling early this month. 

Several deadly incidents in recent days underscore the fragile security situation in Syria following the downfall of Assad’s long-standing regime. The de facto ruling group, an Islamist organization called Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has pledged to restore order and protect all ethnic and religious sects. Its task is complicated by the existence of many different armed groups across the war-ravaged nation.

 

HTS’s interior minister said on Wednesday the assailants ambushed the victims in the area of Tartus near the Mediterranean coast, the heartland of Assad’s regime. 

Protests broke out earlier in the day when members of the Alawite minority group, from which Assad hails, took to the streets in Tartus, Homs, Latakia and Jableh. They were angered by a video showing an Alawite shrine in Aleppo being set alight.

 

The interior ministry said the incident took place in the dying days of Assad’s rule, when unknown groups stormed and violated the shrine. The footage was being circulated to stir up sectarian strife, according to the ministry.   

 

Authorities bolstered security forces in Homs and imposed a curfew from 8 p.m to 6 a.m. in the city after armed men wearing masks opened fire at civilians and forces, Syria TV reported. Another curfew was imposed in Jableh.

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that nine civilians were also killed in Raqqa, Hama and Idlib.

 

Earlier this week, HTS said Syria’s main rebel factions agreed to merge under the umbrella of the ministry of defense. HTS says this is essential to improve Syria’s security.