Three days of intense clashes between regime loyalists and rebels in the coastal provinces of Tartus and Latakia in Syria have resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people, according to reports from two war monitoring groups. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 700 civilians were killed by government forces, while the Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that government security forces had killed approximately 125 civilians.
The Syrian government denied allegations of killing civilians, stating that it operates in accordance with international humanitarian law and aims to protect civilians during operations. The unrest, which began after Assad loyalists killed 16 government security personnel, has been described as the bloodiest outbreak of violence since the regime was ousted in early December.
The clashes have raised concerns about a potential larger sectarian conflict in the country, with tensions already high due to the long-running civil war. The new government has deployed thousands of security forces and soldiers to the region to regain control from the ousted regime remnants.
In response to the violence, the government has closed roads leading to the coastal area to regulate violations and prevent further transgressions. Additionally, helicopters have been deployed with machine guns to target armed loyalists in mountainous areas. A video showing the use of Russian-made anti-submarine depth charges as bombs from a helicopter has drawn comparisons to the old regime’s use of barrel bombs against civilian populations.
The violence in Latakia and Tartus highlights the challenges faced by the new government as it seeks to exert its authority and unite a fractured country after years of conflict.
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