At least 13 Syrian security officers were killed and several others wounded in an ambush by Assad loyalists in the coastal town of Jableh on Thursday, amid escalating tensions in Syria’s Alawite heartland, according to monitoring groups and local officials.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the death toll was higher, with at least 16 security personnel killed and an additional 28 Assad loyalists and three civilians dead in the ensuing clashes.
The attack highlights ongoing instability in the coastal region since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December following an insurgent offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group.
Worst Clashes Since Assad’s Fall
Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, described the Jableh ambush as the worst violence since Assad’s regime collapsed. He noted that pro-Assad fighters had seized control of Qardaha, Assad’s hometown, raising concerns of further unrest.
A Damascus-based security official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that 13 General Security Directorate officers were killed in the attack. However, casualty figures remain disputed, a common occurrence in Syria’s ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, the Qatari network Al Jazeera reported that its cameraman, Riad al-Hussein, was wounded while covering the clashes.
Military Reinforcements & Curfews Imposed
In response to the attack, Syrian authorities declared a 12-hour curfew in the nearby port city of Tartus, urging residents to remain indoors and avoid public gatherings. State media also reported that military reinforcements were being deployed to Jableh and surrounding areas to restore control.
According to the Syrian Observatory, helicopter gunships were used to target armed Alawite groups in Jableh and its outskirts. Fighters linked to former Syrian army General Suheil al-Hassan, also known as “The Tiger”, reportedly played a key role in counterattacks against security forces.
Rising Sectarian Tensions
Tensions in Syria’s coastal Alawite-majority regions have been escalating, with sectarian clashes between Sunni militant groups and Assad loyalists intensifying. Despite official claims that the new authorities oppose collective punishment, reports of retaliatory attacks continue to emerge.
Local security official Sajed al-Deek urged calm, stating that the Alawite community was not responsible for the ambush and warning against sectarian incitement.
“We call on all sides to refrain from stoking sectarian tensions,” he said in a statement.
Top Intelligence Official Arrested
Separately, security forces arrested a former senior intelligence officer, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Hweiji, who had served under Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad.
Hweiji was long suspected of involvement in the 1977 assassination of Lebanese Druze leader Kamal Joumblatt. Following his arrest, Joumblatt’s son and political successor, Walid Joumblatt, reacted by posting on X: “God is Great.”
The recent escalation raises concerns about renewed violence and instability in Syria’s post-Assad era, as factions battle for control in the country’s fractured political and military landscape.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/syria-ambush-assad-jabel-alawites-sunnis-d33e9f12773c0e09e14a56c96235226f