Syria’s new rulers began to tighten security as tensions escalated

Syria’s new authorities on Thursday launched an operation to tighten security in the coastal region where 14 policemen were killed the previous day, vowing to go after the “remnants” of the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad blamed for the attack, state media reported.

The violence in Tartous province, part of a coastal region home to many members of Assad’s Alawite sect, marked the biggest challenge to the Sunni Islamist-led authorities that ousted him on December 8.

Members of the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shia Islam, have wielded considerable power in Syria under Assad, who dominates the security forces he has used against his opponents during the 13-year civil war and to quell tensions amid decades of bloody repression by his police. situation.

The security forces launched the Tartous operation “to control security, stability, and public peace, and to pursue the remnants of Assad’s forces in the forests and hills,” state news agency SANA reported.

The massacre was announced as Damascus authorities warned of an attempt to inflame sectarian tensions, after a video from late November went viral on social media showing a fire at an Alawite shrine in Aleppo. The Ministry of Interior said that unknown groups were instigating the violence and that the army was working “night and day” to protect religious sites.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate that led the rebel campaign to topple Assad, has repeatedly vowed to protect minority groups, who fear the new rulers may seek to impose an Islamist government. Many members of minority groups, including Christians, are concerned.

Sectarian violence has been reported in Damascus

In a predominantly Alawite neighborhood in Damascus, Alawite official Ali Dareer said homes were destroyed and people were beaten because of their religion, despite HTS promises that the sect would be treated with respect. He accused a “third party” of trying to inflame tensions.

Dareer told Reuters that the public had reached out to the new government but “there were many violations,” citing scores of people beaten at checkpoints.

An HTS fighter from the area said there was an incident on Thursday when Alawites were taken out of the bus and beaten because of their religion, but he denied that HTS was involved.

“This is a case of sedition, and we don’t want to be dragged into it,” said Dareer.

“Thousands of people are full of anger, anxiety, and their dignity is being offended,” he said. “However, we must remain committed to peace.”

Taher Dawwa, 38, an Alawite who served as an army volunteer under Assad, said “the burden of all mistakes” should not be placed on one sect. “We don’t want to be separated.”

Syria’s war has escalated into factionalism as Assad has drawn in Shia activists from across the Middle East, encouraged by his ally Iran, to fight an insurgency fueled by members of the Sunni Muslim majority.

Emphasizing sectarian differences, the protesters chanted “Oh Ali!” during a meeting outside the local government headquarters in Tartous, photos posted on social media were seen on Wednesday.

The song was a reference to Ali ibn Abi Talib, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad who is revered by Muslims but highly revered by the Alawites and Shias, who believe Ali and his descendants should have led the Muslim community.

Public peace

Mohammed Othman, the newly appointed governor of the coastal region of Latakia bordering Tartous, met with Alawite leaders “to promote social cohesion and public peace,” SANA reported.

Syria’s information ministry announced a ban on what it described as “the distribution or publication of any media content or news with a sectarian tone aimed at spreading division.”

Assad’s Shia regional ally, Iran, has condemned what has happened in Syria in recent days.

On Sunday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Syrian youth to “stand resolutely against those who planned and brought about this insecurity.”

Khamenei predicts “that a strong and honorable party will emerge in Syria because today the youth of Syria have nothing to lose,” calling the country unsafe.

The newly appointed minister in Syria, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, said on Tuesday that Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and the sovereignty and security of Syria.

“We warn them about the spread of chaos in Syria and hold them responsible for the results of recent speeches,” he said.