Syria: Over a dozen killed in 'ambush' by Assad loyalists

At least 14 people were killed in clashes in Syria's western Tartus province on Wednesday as security forces of the new regime clashed with a group of supporters loyal to the ousted Bashar Assad regime, according to a local war monitor and the new interior ministry.

What do we know so far?

The unrest broke out as Islamist forces sought to arrest an officer of the Assad regime, who was among those "responsible for the crimes of the Saydnaya prison,” the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement, identifying him as Mohammed Kanjo Hassan.

It said he "issued death sentences and arbitrary judgments against thousands of prisoners."

Hassan's brother and armed men intercepted the security forces, "set up an ambush for them near the village and targeted one of the patrol vehicles," the Observatory said.

The country's new Interior Minister Mohammed Abdel Rahman said: "14 interior ministry personnel were killed and 10 others wounded after... a treacherous ambush by remnants of the criminal regime" in Tartus province "while performing their tasks of maintaining security and safety."

Those killed were from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, the group which led the swift offensive that toppled Assad's rule earlier this month.

In a post in messaging platform Telegram, Rahman vowed to crack down on "anyone who dares to undermine Syria's security or endanger the lives of its citizens." 

Alawites protest revenge violence

As a transition of power and authority takes place in Syria, thousands of angry protesters took to the streets in parts of the country over an unverified video showing an attack on an Alawite shrine.

Apart from the video, the demonstrations are linked to accounts of violence in recent days against the minority community. The ousted Assad family are Alawites, with the religious group seen as being loyal to the old regime.  

Fabrice Balanche, a Middle East expert from France's University Lumiere Lyon 2, estimated the Alawite community makes up for about 9% of Syria's population.

"The Alawites were very close to Bashar's regime. Their association with the regime risks provoking collective revenge against them — even more so as Islamists consider them heretics," he told AFP.

Protests broke out in coastal cities where most of the country's minority Alawite community live, including Tartus.

In the central city of Homs, one person was killed and five others wounded after gunshots were heard, according to the Syrian Observatory. It said the incident took place "after security forces...opened fire to disperse" the crowd.

Meanwhile, Syria's interim authorities insisted the video was old and not a recent incident. They have tried to reassure minority groups that they will be protected. 

mk/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters)