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Violence has escalated between Syrian government forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, resulting in more than 200 deaths in the coastal regions of Syria. This marks the most intense fighting since Assad’s government was toppled in December by insurgent groups led by the Islamist faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Fighters aligned with Syria’s new government launched assaults on several coastal villages, killing dozens of Assad loyalists in retaliation for recent attacks on government security forces. The clashes began on Thursday and continued through Friday. The violence has been described as the worst since December when insurgent forces took control, with the new government vowing to unite Syria after years of civil war.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the government forces loyal to the new regime stormed several villages, killing dozens in response to attacks by Assad loyalists. The raids in villages such as Sheer, Mukhtariyeh, and Haffah led to the deaths of 69 men, but no women were reported harmed. More than 200 people have been killed since the fighting began, with 140 dying in apparent revenge attacks. This includes 50 members of the government forces and 45 Assad loyalists.
The clashes ignited when government forces attempted to detain a wanted individual near Jableh, a coastal city, but were ambushed by Assad’s supporters. The attacks also spread to Baniyas, where an additional 60 people, including women and children, lost their lives.
Syrian authorities have not provided an official death toll, but a security official mentioned that many individuals in coastal areas sought revenge for previous assaults on government forces. Damascus has since deployed reinforcements to the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus, home to Assad’s Alawite supporters, and has imposed a curfew in these regions.
The new government has accused Assad loyalists of orchestrating the recent attacks on security forces, though it maintains it will not tolerate sectarian violence or collective punishment. The United Nations has urged all parties to avoid actions that could exacerbate tensions and destabilize Syria further.
As of Friday, Assad loyalists still control areas including Jableh, Baniyas, and other Alawite strongholds, including Assad’s hometown of Qardaha.
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