Damascus: Gunmen loyal to former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad launched deadly ambushes against security forces in the coastal province of Latakia, killing at least 15 personnel.
The attacks occurred on Thursday near Jableh, a town in the Latakia countryside, a region considered the stronghold of the Alawite sect, to which the Assad family belongs. According to a Syrian security official, the assaults involved multiple armed ambushes targeting government forces.
In response, Syrian authorities vowed to reassert control. “The state will enforce its authority over all unlawful groups and will not tolerate threats to security,” source stated.
Following the ambush, a video surfaced featuring a former Assad-era commander announcing the formation of an armed resistance group named the “Coastal Shield Regiment” to oppose the new government.
Additionally, the security chief of Latakia province informed the state news agency SANA that government forces were actively engaging fighters linked to former special forces commander Suhail al-Hassan. Later, officials declared the situation under control, stating that multiple attackers had been killed and many others captured.
Authorities have since imposed a curfew in both Latakia and the nearby coastal city of Tartous.
