Fighters standing in support of Syria's new government launched attacks on several border villages, resulting in the deaths of dozens. This retaliation was prompted by recent assaults on governmental security forces by loyalists of the ousted president, Bashar Assad.
The assaults on villages began on Thursday and continued into Friday, marking one of the most severe clashes since the Islamic group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led an insurgency against Assad's regime in December. This new government has vowed to unify Syria after a grueling 14-year civil war.
How Did the Recent Clashes Start?
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 200 individuals have been killed since the conflicts began. The deceased include approximately 140 individuals in revenge attacks in villages, around 50 members of Syrian government forces, and 45 fighters loyal to Assad.
Since the onset of the Syrian civil war in March 2011, more than half a million people have died, and millions have been displaced. The latest clashes erupted when government forces attempted to apprehend a wanted individual near the coastal city of Jableh on Thursday, which led to an ambush by Assad loyalists.
Women and Children Among Potential Casualties
According to AP and observing agencies, gunmen loyal to the new government attacked the villages of Shir, Mukhtariyah, and Haffah near the border, resulting in the deaths of 69 men while sparing women. Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stated, "They killed every man they encountered."
Reports from Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV corroborated these attacks on three villages, revealing over 30 men killed in Mukhtariyah alone.
The Observatory reported that 60 more individuals, including women and children, perished in the city of Baniyas.
Syrian officials have not released the death toll, but the Syrian government news agency SANA quoted an unnamed security official stating that many went to the coast to retaliate for recent attacks on government forces. The official acknowledged "some personal breaches occurred, and we are working to prevent them."
In a video statement, interim president Ahmed Al-Shara called for armed groups linked to the former government to disarm and for those loyal to the new government to refrain from attacking civilians or mistreating prisoners.
