MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. A number of foreign nations are attempting to incite religious violence and unrest in Syria, a source from the country’s Latakia province, where Alawite protests occurred on December 25, informed TASS.
"Currently, unrest and clashes are being provoked between the new government, Sunnis, Christians, and Alawites. The new government seeks stability; no one wants conflict. However, there is a media campaign [designed to incite hatred] funded by external actors," the source said, adding that "Israel and the US have an interest in fueling riots in Syria."
On December 27, security forces formed by the new Syrian government blocked districts of the city of Tartus, where Alawites organized riots. Those participating in them were given four days to lay down their arms and surrender to law enforcement. These measures were also taken against the supporters of former President Bashar Assad in the Alawite Al-Zahra district in the city of Homs. The Syrian police warned that it would prosecute those who try to destabilize the situation and incite religious violence.
On December 26, Interior Minister of the transitional government Mohammad Abdul Rahman reported that law enforcers of the new authorities of the republic had been ambushed in the city of Tartus. The clash resulted in 14 officers being killed and 10 receiving injuries. Earlier, during the detention of a high-ranking military official of the previous government, nine soldiers of the interim government were killed.
On December 25, protests were held by the country’s Alawite religious minority in Tartus, Latakia, Jableh, and Homs, following an attack on an Alawite religious site in Aleppo by unidentified armed men. The authorities responded by imposing curfew measures and deploying reinforcements in the coastal areas, blaming the former president’s supporters for inciting unrest.
The source explained that due to security issues on the streets and the introduction of a curfew, residents of Latakia, Jableh, and Tartus stay indoors virtually all the time. Additionally, the new Syrian government is yet to resolve problems with the energy supply. "Electricity is available for only several hours a day," he added.
Regime change in Syria
In late November, Syria’s armed opposition launched a large-scale offensive against government forces. On December 8, they entered Damascus. Assad resigned as the Syrian president and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government until March 1, 2025.