Syria clashes may be a sign of worse to come

The battles between Syria’s security forces and Alawite groups point to the chaos that still reigns in parts of Syria, according to Century International fellow Aron Lund.

“The Syrian coast is a very fragile place, with sectarian hatred, a legacy of brutal conflict and weapons everywhere,” Lund told Al Jazeera.

“The new al-Sharaa regime is weak and depends on security forces that are only partly under its control and that are full of anti-Alawi chauvinists,” he argued, adding that “unrepentant ex-regime Alawi figures [are] provoking clashes and stoking more violence”, leaving civilians in the crossfire.

“This round of fighting will probably be brought under control, but it’s perhaps a sign of worse to come,” Lund added.