DOZENS of people have been killed after soldiers loyal to exiled tyrant Bashar al-Assad launched a surprise ambush on the army of Syria’s new rulers.
The continuous confrontations between the opposing factions have been the most severe violence witnessed since the oppressive rule of Assad was overthrown by the extremist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in December.
Fighting broke out when Assad loyalists ambushed military forces after they tried to detain a wanted person near the coastal city of Jableh.
A civilian witness called the attack “planned and prepared”, saying that the gunmen were firing “indiscriminately” at civilians.
Mustafa Kneifati, a security official based in Latakia, reported, “Various factions of the remaining Assad militia launched assaults on our defense positions and checkpoints, specifically targeting a number of our security patrols.”
Syria’s new security forces have since carried out extensive campaigns seeking to root out Assad loyalists from his former bastions.
More than 200 people have been killed since the fighting broke out, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Aside from the approximately 140 individuals who lost their lives in what seemed to be retaliatory strikes in the villages, the casualties also include a minimum of 50 members from the Syrian government forces and 45 fighters who remain loyal to Assad.
Forces loyal to the new government stormed the villages of Sheer, Mukhtariyeh and Haffah near the coast, killing 69, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV also reported the attacks on the three villages, saying that more than 30 men were killed in the village of Mukhtariyeh alone.
Another 60 people were killed in the town of Baniyas, including women and children, the observatory said.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that many fighters went to the coast seeking revenge for recent attacks on government security forces.
The official said the actions “led to some individual violations and we are working on stopping them”.
A curfew has now been imposed until Saturday in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus.
Local media reported that a security operation was launched in Assad’s hometown of Qardaha, near Latakia, “against loyalists of the former regime.”
Damascus also sent reinforcements to the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus and nearby villages that are home to Assad’s minority Alawite sect and make up his longtime base of support.
Under Assad, Alawites held top posts in the army and security agencies.
The new government has blamed his loyalists for attacks against the country’s new security forces over the past several weeks.
There have also been some attacks against Alawites in recent weeks
The civil war that has been raging in Syria since March 2011 has left more than half a million people dead and millions displaced.
The new government has pledged to unite Syria after 14 years of civil war.
Dozens of exiled fighters from the militant Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a surprise offensive against Vladimir Putin’s ally President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December.
This marked the conclusion of a regime notorious for its brutality, including chemical attacks, mass detentions, and the decimation of Syrian cities.
But challenges remain as Syrians celebrate, but hopes rise for a democratic future after years of war.
His fall not only signals the collapse of a dynastic dictatorship but also underscores the cost of clinging to power through terror.
Bashar al-Assad has left behind a shattered nation.
He decimated Syria’s infrastructure, fractured its society, and plunged millions into despair.
The dramatic rise and fall of dictator Bashar al-Assad
Assad’s rule over Syria ended in dramatic fashion after rebel forces stormed Damascus in a surprise offensive, forcing the dictator to flee to Russia.
This marked the conclusion of a regime notorious for its brutality, including chemical attacks, mass detentions, and the decimation of Syrian cities.
His life took a dramatic turn in 1994 when his elder brother, Bassel, the family’s chosen heir, died in a car accident.
Bashar was abruptly recalled to Syria and groomed for power.
Initially, hope stirred for reform as Bashar promised modernisation, anti-corruption measures, and political openness.
But the so-called “Damascus Spring” was short-lived.
Within a year, Assad cracked down on dissenters, signalling the beginning of his authoritarian rule.
The Assad regime quickly devolved into a kleptocracy, with Assad and his extended family siphoning wealth while suppressing opposition.
The Syrian Civil War became a geopolitical quagmire.
Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, portrayed himself as a bulwark against terrorism while cynically releasing jihadist prisoners to bolster extremist factions.
This fuelled the rise of groups like ISIS, reshaping global terror.
The end of Assad’s reign came abruptly in December 2024, as rebel forces launched a lightning offensive, exploiting weakened Syrian defences.
Rebels captured Damascus in a lightning campaign, declaring the capital “free” and marking the end of years of brutal authoritarian rule.
With Russia mired in Ukraine and Iran preoccupied with regional conflicts, Assad’s regime was left vulnerable.
Rebels stormed Aleppo, marking a symbolic victory, and Assad fled Damascus.
Assad left aboard a military plane amid rumours of its crash before resurfacing in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin granted him asylum.
It comes as an apparent Russian conspiracy to distribute false news about an al-Assad ‘aircraft accident’ has been exposed.
The Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security claimed on X that Russia “hid their trail” in assisting al-Assad’s escape by circulating fake claims that he died in a crash.
Meanwhile, opposition forces took control of key cities, toppled Assad’s statues, and announced plans for a transitional government.
The fall of Assad deals a blow to allies Russia and Iran, with both withdrawing assets from Syria.
