The Syria’s Government says that it has completed surgery in the Latakia and Tartous coastal governors after four days of fighting between the security forces and the pro-assdes of armed fighters.
The unrest came only three months after The fall of Syrian Bashara Al-Assad in the offensive of opposition fighters.
Reports from the Latakia region have told the killings, abductions, theft, harassment, and even public killings.
So what happened and who did it? Here’s what we know about violence:
What happens in Syria?
On March 6, government forces began to be deployed to the Syria coastal cities, including Lataki, Banias, Tartous and Jableh to fight about what they called “remains of the regime.”
The “remains” are fighters for Pro-Assad regime who have announced their opposition to the new government.
Alawith’s religious sect from which Bashar al-Assad welcomed, is concentrated in these cities.
How did it start?
On March 6, the Pro-Assad armed the military staff of the UI around Latakia in the northwest, killing at least 16 members of the security forces and the Ministry of Defense.
According to the state media, ambushes were not the first, with several past attacks on government forces since Al-Assad fell.
How many people were killed or injured?
Numbers still appear, but here’s what we know.
According to a report of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (Sohr) 9.
Al Jazeera failed to independently check the Sohr numbers.
Why this area special?
The Latakia-Tarnos of the axis lies along the Syrian Mediterranean coast, and Banias and Jableh lie between them.
These two Alawi-Jajority Governox have long been considered by al-Assad’s stronghold, and the family hometown of Al-Qerdah lay east of Latakia.
When Al-Assad fell, the observers feared that there would be an attack of revenge against the community of Alavita.
This may be the reason why the “remains of the regime” decided to attack there – perhaps hoping it would turn on sectative tensions.
Banias also hosts the largest Syrian oil refinery. The armed fighters tried to attack the refinery, safety forces said, but were rejected.
Who fights?
State security troops faced armed groups led by former officers in the Al-Assad army.
There are also unidentified groups that have gone to the shore to “avenge” the ambush security forces, said an unidentified security official to the Syrian state news agency.
The presence of these individuals, the clerk said, “led to some individual violations and we work to stop them.”
Alavite community members said armed groups were harassed and abducted by Alawite civilians.
The Syrian government estimates that there are 5,000 armed people in the coastal area.
Who are the ‘remains of the regime’?
Social media videos have been displaying former Al-Assad Muqdad Fteiha officer from February, proclaiming a group formation to confront “HTS violations” in the coastal region.
Fleiha, who was in the Republican Guard Al-Assad, claims in his message that the Alawit community was harassed.
Other statements about the social media attributed to the former Brigadier General Al-Assad, General Ghiath Suleiman Dalla, declared the formation of the “Syria’s Military Council” in order to “expel all the occupation of terrorist forces” and “limit the repressive sectarian apparatus.”
What did the Syrian government say?
Escalabling violence was a huge challenge for the temporary President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara.
On Sunday, Al-Sharaa announced two new crisis resolution committees.
One is an independent committee of judges and lawyers who will investigate attacks on March 6th and the violence that followed and considered those responsible for the “greater national interest and civic peace”.
The second is the “Supreme Committee on Civil Peace”, which is in charge of socializing with the inhabitants of the affected areas and the protection of their safety.
Earlier on Sunday, he spoke in a mosque in Damascus, acknowledging the seriousness of the crisis and calling for national unity.
On Friday, March 7, he reaffirmed in a television address of his commitment to stability and promised to carry out loyalists with regime responsible for crimes and consolidate state control of weapons.
How do civilians work in these areas?
People are afraid, panic has taken over the coastal regions.
“I never go out there and I don’t even open the windows … There is no security here. There is no safety for Alawis,” said Latakia resident, who decided to remain anonymous, he told Al Jazeera.
Those who remain talking about life in terror, fearing that armed fighters will attack them in their homes.
This part was published in collaboration with Egab.
