On Thursday, the new Syrian authorities launched attacks in the coastal region, where a day earlier 14 policemen were killed after announcing that they would pursue the “remnants” of the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad, accused of the attack, state media reported.
The violence in Tartous province, part of the coastal region where many members of Assad's Alawite sect live, was the deadliest challenge yet to the Sunni Islamist-led government that ousted him from power on December 8.
Members of the Alawite minority, a sect of Shiite Islam, have wielded enormous influence in Assad's Syria, dominating the security forces he used against his opponents during a 13-year civil war and crushing dissent during decades of bloody persecution by his police state.
Security forces launched Operation Tartous to “control security, stability and social peace and pursue the remnants of Assad's militias in forests and hills,” state news agency SANA reported.
On Thursday, the interim administration said 14 members of the Syrian police in western Syria were killed in an “ambush” by forces loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Syria's new interior minister said on Telegram that 10 police officers were also wounded by what he called the “remnants” of al-Assad's government in Tartous.
The crackdown was announced after Damascus authorities warned against trying to ignite sectarian conflict after a late November video showing a fire inside an Alawite temple in Aleppo circulated on social media. The Interior Ministry said the violence was carried out by unknown groups and that its forces worked “day and night” to protect religious sites.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate that led the rebel campaign that toppled Assad, has repeatedly vowed to protect minority groups who fear new rulers may try to impose an Islamist government. Many members of minority groups, including Christians, are concerned.
Sectarian violence was reported in Damascus
In the predominantly Alawite neighborhood of Damascus, Alawite Sheikh Ali Dareer said homes were destroyed and people beaten because of their religious identity, despite assurances from HTS that the sect would be treated with respect. He blamed a “third party” who tried to cause discord.
Dareer told Reuters that the community had reached out to the new government but “there were many violations,” citing numerous accounts of people being beaten at checkpoints.
An HTS militant operating in the area said there was an incident on Thursday in which Alawites were thrown off a bus and beaten because of their religion, but denied that HTS was responsible.
“This is a rebellion issue and we don't want to be dragged into it,” Dareer said.
“Thousands of people are filled with resentment, anxiety and their dignity is being insulted,” he said. “But we must remain committed to peace.”
Taher Dawwa, 38, an Alawite who was a military volunteer under Assad, said the “burden of all mistakes” should not be placed on one sect. “We don't want divisions.”
The war in Syria took on a sectarian dimension as Assad turned to Shiite militias across the Middle East, mobilized by his ally Iran, to fight an insurgency dominated by members of the Sunni majority.
Highlighting sectarian tensions, protesters chanted “Oh Ali!” during a rally in front of the local government headquarters in Tartus – photos published on social media on Wednesday showed.
The chant was a reference to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, who is revered by Muslims but especially respected by Alawites and Shiites, who believe that Ali and his descendants should have led the Islamic community.
Civil peace
Mohammed Othman, the newly appointed governor of the coastal region of Latakia neighboring Tartous, met with Alawite sheikhs to “encourage community cohesion and social peace,” SANA reports.
The Syrian Ministry of Information announced a ban on “the dissemination or publication of any content or news in the media of a sectarian nature aimed at spreading division.”
Iran, a long-time regional ally of Assad, has criticized the course of events in Syria in recent days.
On Sunday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Syrian youth to “stand firmly against those who organized and caused this insecurity.”
Khamenei predicts that “a strong and honorable group will also emerge in Syria because today Syrian youth have nothing to lose,” calling the country dangerous.
Newly appointed Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani said on Tuesday that Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and Syria's sovereignty and security.
“We warn them against spreading chaos in Syria and hold them accountable for the consequences of their recent remarks,” he said.