In the coastal town of Jableh in Syria, a violent ambush by gunmen on a police patrol resulted in the deaths of at least 13 security personnel, as reported by a monitoring organization and a local official. The attack, which occurred on Thursday, highlights the escalating tensions in Syria’s coastal region amid clashes between factions of the former President Bashar Assad’s Alawite sect and Islamic groups. This comes after Assad’s removal from power in December, led by insurgent groups spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist organization.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, headquartered in the UK, the ambush near Latakia saw at least 16 fatalities. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the group, noted that the assailants in Jableh were Alawites. “These are the most severe confrontations since Assad’s regime fell,” remarked Abdurrahman.
An unnamed official from Damascus confirmed to The Associated Press that 13 members of the General Security directorate lost their lives in the assault. This official requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information and the restrictions on disclosing security issues to the public.
Following the incident, varying reports on the number of casualties emerged, which is common in the immediate aftermath of attacks in Syria’s prolonged conflict, now in its 13th year and having claimed approximately 500,000 lives. During the clashes, a cameraman for Al-Jazeera, Riad al-Hussein, sustained injuries. Meanwhile, state media announced a 12-hour curfew in the neighboring city of Tartus, advising residents to stay indoors and avoid congregating in public spaces.
SANA, a state-run news agency, reported that additional security forces were being deployed to regain control over the troubled coastal areas. The Syrian Observatory also noted the involvement of helicopter gunships in operations against the Alawite rebels in Jableh and surrounding locales. Additionally, soldiers loyal to the former Syrian army General, Suheil al-Hassan, commonly referred to as the ‘Tiger,’ were reportedly part of the offensive against the security factions.
An increase in hostilities has been observed in Syria, with Sunni militants carrying out attacks against Alawite communities, who notably ruled Syria for over 50 years under the Assad family’s leadership. Despite the new regime’s official stance against collective punishment and sectarian reprisals, such incidents continue. Security official Sajed al-Deek emphasized through local media that Alawites were not responsible for the attacks on security forces, urging the public to refrain from inciting sectarian divisions.
Additionally, the state news agency disclosed that Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Hweiji, a former senior intelligence figure implicated in the 1977 assassination of Lebanese Druze leader Kamal Joumblatt, was detained by security forces. The late Joumblatt’s son and successor, Walid, reacted to the news with a post on X exclaiming, “God is great.”
