Over 70 killed in Syria clashes between govt forces, al-Assad loyalists: Monitor

More than 70 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Syria in fighting between government security forces and militants loyal to deposed ruler Bashar al-Assad, a war monitor said Friday.

“For more than 70 killed and dozens wounded and captured in bloody clashes and ambushes on the Syrian coast between members of the Ministry of Defense and Interior and militants from the defunct regime’s army,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a post on X.

Director of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdulrahman, claimed that “security forces have executed 52 Alawite men in the towns of Al-Shir and Al-Mukhtariya in the Latakia countryside” based on videos it verified, as well as testimonies it received from the victims’ relatives.

The Syrian authorities announced on Friday the extension of the curfew in the cities of Latakia and Tartous, and the start of extensive combing operations in the centers of cities, villages, towns and surrounding mountainous areas, to pursue the remnants of the former regime.

The Syrian General Security Administration had announced on Thursday evening the imposition of a general curfew in Tartus, Homs and Latakia until Friday morning. However, the official Syrian News Agency quoted a leading source in the General Security Administration as extending the curfew in the cities of Latakia and Tartus, without specifying a date for its end.

The security forces also announced the launch of an extensive combing campaign in Latakia and Tartus, including rural areas and neighboring towns, in search of remnants of armed groups.

A security source stated: "The operations target the remnants of Assad's militias and those who support them, and we recommend that civilians stay in their homes and report any suspicious movements."

The source added that anyone who wishes to hand over their weapons and themselves to the judiciary can go to the nearest security point.

For his part, a source in the Ministry of Defense stated that military forces have begun deploying in Latakia and Tartous to support the General Security Forces and restore stability to the region. He confirmed that military operations extended to the northern and eastern countryside of Latakia, and the M4 road (Latakia - Aleppo - Hasakah), reaching the city of Jableh, as part of enhancing security and pursuing militants.

With AFP