At least 70 people were killed and dozens wounded in overnight clashes between the new authorities in Syria and gunmen loyal to the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad, according to a war monitor. The bloodiest skirmishes since the collapse of the Assad government took place along the Mediterranean coast in Latakia and Tartous provinces.
The fighting came hours after 16 security personnel were killed by Assad loyalists in the Latakia countryside on Thursday afternoon. Thousands of protesters flooded streets in both cities to demand that government forces stand down and withdraw from the countryside, sparking wide-scale demonstrations for the first time since the new authorities took power in December.
Government convoys patrolled the roads of both cities on Friday morning as residents were told to stay home during “combing operations” aimed at armed remnants of the Assad regime. The Syrian Ministry of Defense has called on all members of Mr. al-Assad’s security forces to relinquish their ties to the former government and surrender their weapons.
Despite making up only 10% of Syria’s population, the Alawite minority, including the Assad family, have historically exerted significant influence over the country. The new government faces a challenge in consolidating control as it navigates these longstanding regional dynamics.
Protests erupted across major cities, with some supporting the government and others demanding that its forces stand down on the coast. The authorities imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday in many major cities.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/middleeast/syria-clashes-assad.html