Syria’s new rebel-led government says supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad have killed 14 interior minister soldiers in an “ambush” in the west of the country.
They said another 10 soldiers were wounded in Tuesday’s battle near the Mediterranean port of Tartous, which is a stronghold of Assad’s Alawite Muslim minority.
The conflict with Assad’s supporters is the first direct challenge to the authority of Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The position of president Assad fell to the power of the rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) of al-Sharaa two weeks ago.
Security forces launched an operation in Tartous province on Thursday, according to state news agency Sana, with the aim of “restoring security, stability and peace in the community”.
The security forces reportedly went into hiding while trying to arrest the former official for his role in the notorious Saydnaya prison, near the capital, Damascus.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said “three armed men”, which it did not identify, were also killed in the clashes.
SOHR added that security forces later brought in reinforcements.
In another incident, Syrian authorities imposed a curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported.
Reports say this follows the unrest over a video purportedly showing an attack on an Alawite temple.
The Ministry of Interior said that these images are old, from the time of the rebels in Aleppo in late November, and the violence was carried out by unknown groups.
SOHR said one protester was killed and five injured in Homs.
The former rebels who now rule Syria face the challenge of providing security and stability throughout the country.
The people of Syria look to them to protect the rights of people from different backgrounds as well as to provide justice to those who lost their relatives under the Assad regime.
Protests were also reported in Alawite-dominated areas including the cities of Tartous and Latakia, as well as Assad’s hometown of Qardaha.
The Alawites are an offshoot of Shia Islam where most of the political and military leaders of the previous government, including the Assad family.
The Alawite community fears retaliation, with members accused of torture and killings in Syria under Assad.
The ex-police refused to hand over their weapons and the locals in some villages suggested that they want to fight back, which seems to be happening in Tartous.
There have been calls from Alawite religious leaders for a general amnesty for Alawites – but this is not happening because of the many alleged war crimes committed by its members.
Although al-Sharaa has tightened security in Alawite towns and cities in an effort to maintain order, if its forces launch a campaign to arrest Assad loyalists, they risk destabilizing an already fragile country.
Tens of thousands of people were tortured to death in prisons in Syria, and thousands of families are still waiting for answers and justice.
The Syrians want those responsible to be held accountable – the very thing Alawite members are worried about.
A lightning attack led by HTS that began in northeastern Syria and spread across the country ended more than 50 years of Assads rule.
Assad and his family were forced to flee to Russia.
HTS has since pledged to protect the rights and freedoms of many religious and ethnic groups in Syria.
This group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the UN, US, EU, UK and others.
On Tuesday, protests broke out in the country over the burning of the Christmas treeprompting new calls for new authorities to protect minorities.
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