At least 14 law enforcement officers were reportedly killed, and 10 others injured in an ambush in the Tartus region of Western Syria overnight.
Confirming the incident, the country’s interior ministry on Thursday said the attack, attributed to loyalists of former leader, Bashar Al-Assad, underscores the mounting challenges facing Syria’s newly established government.
The ambush occurred hours after the military operations command of the transitional government reported neutralising a “besieged group of remnants of the former regime” in the same area. This marks the first major assault by Assad supporters since his ousting less than three weeks ago.
Syria’s new administration, already grappling with protests by religious minorities concerned about their rights and a fresh Israeli occupation of southern territories, has set a deadline for former regime forces to surrender their weapons. These developments follow Assad’s flight from the country as rebels advanced on Damascus.
In response to the ambush, additional forces have been deployed to secure the coastal regions and address security threats.
“We will not tolerate any criminal gang that seeks to undermine the security and safety of our people,” the director of public security in Latakia told state media.
Meanwhile, efforts to disarm former Assad regime forces have seen progress, with footage showing ex-security personnel handing over their weapons to the transitional government.
Temporary identification cards have also been issued to former regime members, allowing restricted movement within Syria while legal processes are underway.
The Assad regime’s legacy of atrocities, including the torture and killing of civilians during the civil war, continues to cast a shadow over the country. The United Nations estimates over 306,000 civilian deaths occurred between 2011 and 2021.
Recent protests in Latakia, coupled with the circulation of a video purporting to show the desecration of an Alawite shrine in Aleppo, have heightened tensions.
The interior ministry confirmed the video’s authenticity but stated it was an old recording from Aleppo’s liberation, released now to sow discord among Syrians.
The ministry reassured citizens of its commitment to safeguarding religious sites and preventing provocations during this critical period.