BBC correspondent of the Middle East
In January, for days after the first monthly anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime in the lights of rebels under the guidance of lightning in Syria, a group of young men – some of them – armed – checking their phones in the almost empty headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior in Damascus.
When Bashar Al-Assad’s Bashar disappeared, they arrived from the IDLIBA, the region in the northwest of the country that has been for years Only the province under the control of the opposition in the country.
Almost overnight, they were catapulted to positions once controlled by handmade supporters of Assad and, led by Ahmad al-Shara, were in charge of the broken land relaxed 13 years of civil war.
One of them, about 30 years old, was recently appointed senior security official and greeted me in a room where any sign of the old regime was removed. High and shy, officially recorded their iPad, admitting that the new rulers had faced huge security challenges, including a threat to come from Loyalist Assad.
AND Dismantling the apparatus of the old decade behind the oppressive machine of AssadAs the country’s army and the ruling Baath party meant the release of hundreds of thousands of people.
“There are people associated with Assad who did not deal with the reconciliation procedure,” said the official, who asked for anonymity to talk about sensitive issues, stating the invitation of new authorities for former members of security forces to hand over their weapons and ties with the old government.
“Our eyes are on everything, but we don’t want to give the impression that we are after them. That’s why there were no mass raids.”
Since then, violence has escalated, especially in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous, the foothold of the Assad family, but the conflicts were relatively contained. Until Thursday.
As the forces associated with the government performed surgery in the village of Latakia Province, targeting former officials Assad officials, they were joined by armed.
At least 13 security forces were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a surveillance group based in the UK, described in what a regional official described as a well -planned attack made by the “remains of Assad militia”.
Initially limited to the Jableh area, the unrest spreads wider. Videos posted on the network showed a strong shooting in different areas. Authorities have sent reinforcements and, on Friday, further conflicts kill more than 120 people, Syrian Observatory said.
It tagged the most permeable day than Assad’s fall And the biggest challenge, the more transitional government of the temporary government of the President Shara and his efforts to consolidate authority.
According to the Institute for the Study of WarThe research group, former members of the Assad regime, are likely to form the most effective rebel cells against new Syrian rulers with the ability to coordinate the attack.
“[They] They already have existing networks that can be used to quickly organize rebel cells. These networks of military, intelligence and political networks and criminal unions who were supporters of the regime and lost significant economic and political influence after Assad’s fall, “they said in the report.
Syrian coastal areas are also the heart of Assad Alawite minority, the allotment of Shiite Islam. Its members played prominent roles in the Assad government, but with the arrival of the rebel under the leadership of the Sunni Muslim they lost the power and privilege they once had. Now they say that discrimination have also been attacked, despite Sharai’s promises to respect different religious sects.
On Friday, activists said weapons has killed a dozen male inhabitants in the Alawit areaswhich will further exacerbate the tension and may possibly influence the support for the rebels in their anti-government pressure. Syrian Observatory said armed people from government security forces, although it was not checked.
Authorities also confronted the resistance of the South South forces, although the agreement was reached at the beginning of this week
The Government in Damascus does not control all of Syria, where different fractions – supported by different countries – perform power over different regions.
But for Sharaa, the challenge goes beyond the task of trying to protect the land.
As western doubts about his intentions continue, his authorities are also struggling to obtain solitary sanctions imposed on Syria under the abolished former regime, which is a vital move to revive the economy of the country where nine are in every 10 people in poverty.
