The Syrian defense ministry has announced the conclusion of a military operation targeting loyalists of ousted former president Bashar al-Assad.
According to a war monitoring group, over 1,000 individuals, primarily civilians, have lost their lives amid conflicts between Assad loyalists and the country’s new Islamist leaders in the coastal stronghold of the former president.
Hassan Abdul Ghany, the spokesperson for the defense ministry, shared an update on X, stating that public institutions are now poised to resume operations and deliver essential services. “We are paving the way for life to return to normal and for the consolidation of security and stability,” Mr. Abdul Ghany affirmed, emphasizing the commitment to restoring order.
In response to the recent violence, interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa pledged to seek out those responsible for the clashes and to hold accountable anyone who exceeds the authority of the new governance.
His office has announced the establishment of an independent committee tasked with investigating the incidents and the resulting fatalities on both sides. Mr. Abdul Ghany confirmed that the security forces would fully cooperate with this committee, ensuring access to all relevant information to clarify the situation and deliver justice. “We were able to absorb the attacks from the remnants of the former regime and its officers. We shattered their element of surprise and managed to push them away from vital centers, securing most of the main roads,” he stated, reflecting on their recent successes.
While a period of relative calm followed Mr. Assad’s ousting in December, recent days have seen escalated violence as forces aligned with the new Islamist rulers began targeting a growing insurgency from the Alawite minority—a sect that the former regime heavily relied upon.
The fighting has tragically escalated into revenge killings directed against Alawites, who are adherents of a branch of Shia Islam and were associated with Assad’s violent tactics against Syria’s predominantly Sunni Muslim populace. Reports from the British-based Syrian Observatory indicate that over 1,000 people, including 745 civilians, 125 members of the Syrian security forces, and 148 Assad loyalists, were killed during two days of intense conflict.
After being dethroned, Mr. Assad sought refuge in Russia, following the fall of his government to the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led by Mr. Sharaa, which marked the end of decades of repression and ongoing civil strife.
The Tánaiste has appealed to Syria’s interim authorities to “ensure the protection of civilians irrespective of faith or ethnicity, and to hold accountable those responsible for these atrocities.” He also condemned the attacks, labeling the violence as “truly shocking.”
Simon Harris expressed his support for the initiation of an independent committee to investigate these tragic events, asserting that “there must be no impunity” for those involved.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
