The government of Syria says it has ended an operation in the coastal governorates of Latakia and Tartous after four days of fighting between security forces and pro-Assad armed fighters.
The unrest came only three months after the fall of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad in an offensive by opposition fighters.
Reports from the Latakia region told of killings, kidnappings, theft, harassment and even public murders.
So, what happened and who did this? Here’s what we know about the violence:
What’s happening in Syria?
On March 6, government forces began deploying to the coastal cities of Syria, including Latakia, Banias, Tartous and Jableh to fight what they dubbed “regime remnants”.
The “remnants” are pro-Assad regime fighters who have announced their opposition to the new government.
The Alawite religious sect, from which Bashar al-Assad hails, is concentrated in these cities.
How did it start?
On March 6, pro-Assad gunmen ambushed military personnel in and around Latakia in the northwest, killing at least 16 members of the security forces and the Ministry of Defence.
According to state media, the March 6 ambushes were not the first, with several past attacks on government forces since al-Assad fell.
How many people have been killed or injured?
Numbers are still emerging, but here’s what we know.
According to a March 9 report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), at least 1,311 people have been killed as of Saturday evening – some 830 were civilians, 230 security personnel from various branches, and about 250 armed fighters.
Al Jazeera has not been able to independently verify SOHR’s numbers.
Why this area in particular?
The Latakia-Tartous axis lies along Syria’s Mediterranean coast, with Banias and Jableh lying between them.
These two Alawi-majority governorates have long been considered al-Assad strongholds, with the family’s hometown, al-Qerdaha, lying east of Latakia.
When al-Assad fell, observers feared there would be revenge attacks against the Alawite community.
This may be why “regime remnants” chose to attack there – possibly hoping to inflame sectarian tensions.
Banias also hosts Syria’s largest oil refinery. Armed fighters tried to attack the refinery, security forces said, but were repelled.
Who’s fighting?
State security troops confronted armed groups led by former officers in al-Assad’s army.
There are also unidentified groups who went to the coast to “avenge” the ambushed security forces, an unidentified security official told Syria’s state news agency.
The presence of these individuals, the official said, had “led to some individual violations and we are working on stop them”.
Alawite community members said armed groups have been harassing and kidnapping Alawite civilians.
The Syrian government estimates there are 5,000 armed individuals in the coastal area.
Who are these ‘regime remnants’?
Videos on social media since February show former al-Assad army officer Muqdad Fteiha declaring the formation of a group to counter “HTS violations” in the coastal region.
Fleiha, who was in al-Assad’s Republican Guard, claims in his message that the Alawite community is mistreated.
Other statements on social media, attributed to former al-Assad army Brigadier General Ghiath Suleiman Dalla, declared the formation of a “Military Council for the Liberation of Syria” to “expel all occupying terrorist forces” and “dismantle the repressive sectarian security apparatus”.
What did Syria’s government say?
The escalating violence presented a huge challenge for Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
On Sunday, al-Sharaa announced two new committees to deal with the crisis.
One is an independent committee of judges and lawyers to investigate the March 6 attacks and the violence that ensued and hold those responsible accountable, in pursuit of “higher national interest and civil peace”.
The second is a “Supreme Committee for Civil Peace”, tasked with engaging with the residents of the affected areas and safeguarding their security.
Earlier on Sunday, he spoke at a Damascus mosque, acknowledging the severity of the crisis and calling for national unity.
On Friday, March 7, he reaffirmed in a televised address his commitment to stability, and promised to pursue regime loyalists responsible for crimes and to consolidate state control over weapons.
How are civilians doing in these areas?
People are scared, panic has taken over the coastal regions.
“I don’t ever go outside and I don’t even open the windows… There is no security here. There is no security for Alawis,” a resident of Latakia who chose to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera.
Those who remain speak of living in terror, fearing that armed fighters will attack them in their homes.
This piece was published in collaboration with Egab.
