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Syria’s new government launched a security crackdown on Thursday in a coastal area where 14 policemen were killed a day earlier, vowing to pursue “remnants” of the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad blamed for the attack, state media reported.
The violence in Tartous province, part of the coastal region where many members of Assad’s Alawite sect live, marked the deadliest challenge yet to the Sunni Islamist-led government that ousted him on December 8.
Members of the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, have wielded great influence in Assad-led Syria, dominating the security forces he has used against his opponents during the 13-year civil war and to crush dissent during decades of bloody repression by his police state.
Security forces launched the Tartous operation to “control security, stability and civil peace, and to pursue the remnants of Assad’s militias in the forests and hills,” state news agency SANA reported.
An ‘ambush’ by forces loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad killed 14 members of the Syrian police in western Syria, the transitional administration said on Thursday. Syria’s new interior minister said on Telegram that 10 police officers were also wounded by what he called “remnants” of al-Assad’s government in Tartous.
The crackdown was announced as authorities in Damascus warned of an attempt to incite sectarian conflict, after a video dating from late November showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in Aleppo circulated on social media. The interior ministry said unknown groups had committed the violence and that its forces were working “night and day” to protect religious sites.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former al-Qaeda affiliate that led the rebel campaign that ousted Assad, has repeatedly vowed to protect minority groups, who fear the new rulers could try to impose an Islamist government. Many members of minority groups, including Christians, are concerned.
Reported sectarian violence in Damascus
In a majority Alawite neighborhood of Damascus, Alawite Sheikh Ali Dareer said homes were vandalized and people beaten based on their religious identity, despite promises by HTS that the sect would be treated with respect. He blamed a “third party” trying to foment discord.
Dareer told Reuters the community had reached out to the new government, but “there were many violations,” citing multiple reports of people being beaten at a checkpoint.
An HTS fighter in the area said there was an incident on Thursday in which Alawites were taken off a bus and beaten for their religion, but denied that HTS was responsible.
“This is an insurgency issue and we don’t want to be drawn into it,” Dareer said.
“Thousands of people are filled with resentment, anxiety and their dignity has been violated,” he said. “However, we must remain committed to peace.”
Taher Dawwa, 38, an Alawite who served as an army volunteer under Assad, said the “burden of all mistakes” should not be placed on one sect. – We don’t want division.
Syria’s war has taken on sectarian dimensions as Assad has drawn in Shiite militias from across the Middle East, mobilized by his ally Iran, to fight an insurgency dominated by members of the Sunni Muslim majority.
Highlighting sectarian tensions, protesters chanted “Oh Ali!” during a rally in front of the local government headquarters in Tartous, images posted on social media showed on Wednesday.
The chant referred to Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, who is revered by Muslims but especially highly regarded by Alawites and Shiites, who believe Ali and his descendants were meant to lead the Islamic community.
Civil peace
Mohammed Othman, the newly appointed governor of the coastal region of Latakia that borders Tartous, met with Alawite sheikhs to “encourage community cohesion and civil peace,” SANA reported.
Syria’s Ministry of Information announced a ban on what it described as “the circulation or publication of any media content or news with a sectarian tone with the aim of spreading divisions.”
Assad’s long-time Shiite regional ally, Iran, has criticized the course of events in Syria in recent days.
On Sunday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Syrian youth to “resolutely oppose those who orchestrated and brought about this insecurity.”
Khamenei predicted “that a strong and honorable group will emerge in Syria because today the Syrian youth have nothing to lose,” calling the country insecure.
Newly appointed Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani said on Tuesday that Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and Syria’s sovereignty and security.
“We warn them not to spread chaos in Syria and hold them responsible for the consequences of their latest statements,” he said.
