Over 70 Killed in Clashes Between Syrian Forces and Assad Loyalists

The fighting erupted on the Syrian coast, particularly around the coastal town of Jableh, and involved clashes between government forces and Assad’s former military factions. The Observatory described the clashes as the most intense attacks on the new authorities since Assad’s ousting in December.

The toll from Thursday's fighting alone included 48 deaths, including 16 government security personnel, 28 Assad loyalists, and four civilians. The violence mainly centered in Latakia, Assad’s Alawite heartland.

Mustafa Kneifati, a security official in Latakia, said the attack on security positions was "well-planned," claiming that remnants of Assad's militias targeted checkpoints in the Jableh area, leading to numerous casualties. He vowed to restore stability and eliminate the remaining militias.

The unrest also led to significant arrests. The security forces captured General Ibrahim Huweija, a former head of air force intelligence, notorious for his involvement in numerous assassinations during the Assad regime. Huweija was long suspected in the 1977 murder of Lebanese leader Kamal Bek Jumblatt.

In response to growing unrest, security forces launched helicopter strikes on armed groups linked to Assad-era commanders in the Latakia countryside. The strikes followed clashes with gunmen loyal to Suhail al-Hassan, a key Assad figure known as "The Tiger" for his role in military operations during the civil war.

The Syrian Observatory also reported security forces had imposed curfews in Alawite-populated areas, including Latakia, Tartus, and Homs, and tensions mounted as civilians protested the helicopter strikes, alleging they targeted civilian homes.

The violence was ignited by a dispute in Beit Ana, the birthplace of Suhail al-Hassan, when locals resisted a security force operation to arrest a man accused of arms trading. A subsequent security crackdown led to clashes and the deaths of at least four civilians, further escalating tensions.

Since Assad’s fall in December, Syria's new security forces have been conducting operations to root out Assad loyalists, but these campaigns have sparked reports of abuses, including forced disappearances and home seizures. Authorities have promised to hold violators accountable while describing such incidents as isolated.