The collisions between the Syrian security forces under the new Islamist authorities of the country and bandits loyal to the repressed President Bashar Al-Assada in the Western Syria region killed over 70 people and left the area outside of government control, said the war monitor on Friday.
The clashes that broke out on Thursday and seem coordinated in the coastal region were a serious escalation and a challenge for the new government in Damascus, where there were power insurgents who pledged to unite Syria after 14 years of brutal civil war.
From day to day, Damascus sent meals to the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus, as well as in nearby towns and villages – the heart of the minority sect of Assad and his long -term support base – trying to control the situation, the media reported.
It was the worst violence, because the Assad's government was overthrown at the beginning of December by insurgent groups led by Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham or HTS. Since then, some sectarian attacks on minority Alawites have been held, although the new authorities claim that they do not allow a collective punishment or sectarian revenge.
As part of Assad, Alawites held the best positions in the army and security agencies. The new government has blamed its loyalists for attacks in recent weeks against the new national security forces.
A large number of soldiers were seen on Friday morning in Latakia, where in the city and other coastal areas remained for the police hour. The members of the security forces said that there were small clashes in one of the city's districts, but most of Latakia was calm and under the control of government.
Monitors say dozens died
The British Syrian Human Rights Observatory, war monitor, said 35 government members, 32 fighters loyal to Assad and four civilians were killed.
Rami Abdulrahman, head of the observatory, said that the edges of the coastal cities of Baniyas and Jableh were still under the control of Assad loyalists, just like the family city of Assad in Qardah and many near Alawite.
A resident of Qarduh told The Associated Press in a text message that the situation “is very bad”. A resident who asked that his name would not be published, fearing his security, said that government forces shoot heavy machine guns in the city's residential areas.
Another resident who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing his safety, said that they were unable to leave the house from Thursday afternoon because of the intensity of shooting.
Gregory Waters, a collaborator from the Middle East of the Institute, who studied coastal areas in Syria, said that he does not expect that the split escalation in permanent fights between the two sides. He said, however, that he was afraid that this could increase the cycles of violence between various civil communities living along the coast.
In addition, all violations of security forces sent from Damascus in armed groups would make young people Alawite more feared the new government – and more prone to taking arms, said Waters.
Abdulrahman from the observatory said that the clashes began when the government forces tried to stop the wanted person near Jableh and were planted by Assad's loyalists.
People ask Russia for help
A lot of people gathered on Friday before the main Russian air base in Syria near Jableh, asking Moscow for protection. Russia joined the conflict of Syria in 2015, on the side of Assad, although after its fall it opened connections with the new authorities. Assad has lived in Moscow since he left Syria in December as an offensive by former insurgents similar to Damascus.
When asked about the outbreak of fighting in the coastal region and possible threats to Russian soldiers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied that “the safety of our army is ensured at an appropriate level.”
“I would not comment on the operational situation because we do not know the details,” said Peskov during a conference conversation with reporters.
Syrian's conflict began in March 2011 and left over half a million dead people, and millions resettled.
Nabil Hawara escaped to Canada as a refugee after two decades in the well-known prisons of the Syri-Assad regime for the first time led by Hafez Al-Assad, and then his son Bashar, who was overthrown by the rebels on December 8. Hawara says that torture he survived through his imprisonment, including the guards who jump on their backs on their backs.