Syria: Over 70 Dead as Security Forces Clashes with Pro-Assad Factions

More than 70 people were killed and dozens wounded on Friday in violent clashes between Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to former ruler Bashar al-Assad in Latakia province, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The violence erupted in Jableh as security forces launched operations to dismantle pro-Assad factions regrouping in the coastal region. SOHR described the fighting as the "most violent" since Assad’s ouster by Islamist rebels in December 2024. Initial reports placed the death toll at 48, but the number has since risen.

According to SOHR, the clashes broke out when militants linked to ex-Assad-era commander Suhail al-Hassan, known as "The Tiger," attacked security patrols and checkpoints. Government forces responded with helicopter strikes on a village in Latakia.

Latakia’s security director, Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kunaifati, told state media that the militants were loyalists of al-Hassan, who was notorious for his brutal military campaigns under Assad.

Security reinforcements have been deployed in Jableh to restore order, while tensions remain high. Reports indicate that Alawite community leaders, who once formed the backbone of Assad’s support, have accused security forces of targeting civilians in the recent strikes.

The clashes are part of Syria’s ongoing instability following Assad’s downfall in December 2024. His regime collapsed after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels seized Damascus, ending the Assad family's five-decade rule. In the final hours before Damascus fell, Assad fled the country, misleading his aides about Russian military support.

Since his departure, Syria's new rulers have promised an inclusive government, but concerns remain over their Islamist affiliations.

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