Syria’s new interior ministry said 14 of its forces were killed and 10 others wounded during clashes with former president Bashar Assad’s administration forces in the west of the country.
The “ambush” occurred in Syria’s countryside outside the city of Tartous, the state news agency reported on Wednesday.
The BBC reported that the security forces were ambushed as they tried to arrest a former officer who was involved in activities at Sednaya prison.
14 Syrian Interior Ministry personnel were killed and 10 others were wounded in an ambush by Assad supporters outside Alawite-majority Tartous, Interior Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman said. “We will strike with an iron fist anyone who dares to endanger Syria’s security,” he said. pic.twitter.com/WJAlOsDniv
— Ariel Oseran (@ariel_oseran) December 25, 2024
Curfew in Homs
The incident came after Syrian police put a curfew in place in the city of Homs, SANA reported, after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shi’ite Muslim religious communities.
The BBC reported that the violence in Homs occurred after a video of an attack on an Alawite Minority gained traction online.
Syria’s Interior Ministry claimed that the video was much older and that the violence was carried out in late November by several rebel groups, the BBC reported.
Reuters reported that some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to former president Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by Sunni Islamist rebels on December 8.
The BBC reported that demonstrations also occurred in Tartous, Latakia, and Assad’s hometown, Qardaha.
