Sectarian tone raises in coastal cities over US Strike

 Fears of sectarian revenge have raised among people of rebel-held areas in Latakia province, especially the Sunni neighborhoods of Jableh city and villages like Slama, al-Heffa and other villages with Turkman minorities.

 Revolution supporters of the embattled areas in the Syrian coast are waiting the imminent US strike with sense of scare, the consequences will be harmful for them, days ago, pro-Assad facebook page called to kill all anti-Assad citizens in the coastal cities, in hint to Sunni who are the native resdents of Latakia, Jablah and Tartous.

 Many Alawite Activists have condemned the revenge calls and the incitement against people who live in Jebleh al-Balad, who are mostly from Sunni sect. These calls came after the confirmation of U.S military strike attack against Syrian regime.

Some of them criticized calls for revenge on facebook pages and considered it stupid, “all people who call and incite for revenge are know in name, address and who they works for, and they will be held responsibility for any harm done to people in Jebleh al-Balad. Moreover, all who participate in that action, eithe inciter, planner or executer, will be punished severely as the sect will exculpate them and death will be the penalty for runners.”

The Activist believed that the military strike is inevitable, and asked people not to double its harm by forcing others to revenge from the Alawite people after the regime got overthrown and Bashar got his punishment.

Assad's army has taken full control on all rebel-held areas in Latakia, activists told Zaman Alwasl after fierce battles between Free Syrian Army and Assad forces for almost one month. Rebels who were positioned in remote enclaves in Latakia’s mountains launched the “battle for the liberation of the Syrian coast”, they quickly captured a dozen Alawite villages near Qordaha, home town of Assad’s later father and long-time president Hafez al-Assad what made the Assad air forces hit the rebels, day and night, by tons of explosive barrels.

 Rebels blamed the lack of ammunition that pushed them to step back, even the alleged supply of the Joint chiefs of Staff was fabricated. ''For that we lost our progress,'' rebel leader told Zaman Alwasl.

Syria's conflict began in March 2011 largely as peaceful protests against Assad's rule. It escalated into a civil war after opposition supporters took up arms to fight a brutal government crackdown on dissent.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to Syrian Human rights NGO's and 1.7 million Syrians, including one million children, have been forced to flee to neighboring countries, the United Nations says.