TUNIS, March 7. /TASS/. Syria's security forces under the new authorities have seized control of the city of Latakia, driving out armed supporters of the country's former President Bashar Assad, the Latakia police chief told Qatar's Al Jazeera.
"The city is under control, the siege of the military facilities has been lifted, and the remnants of the former regime have been removed," he said.
According to the law enforcement official, the security forces have "started clearing the neighborhoods of Jebla and Qardaha," the settlements located in the Latakia governorate.
Earlier, the Al-Ikhbaria TV channel reported that clashes between the security forces and Assad supporters continued in one of Latakia's neighborhoods. According to it, the military continues to inspect the governorate’s settlements in search of armed men. The TV channel also reported that government forces entered the port city of Baniyas in the Tartus governorate.
On March 6, clashes between security forces and pro-Assad militias began in various districts of Latakia. The fiercest fighting took place in the town of Jebla, home to the Alawites, a religious minority to which the Assad family belongs. Not far from Jebla is the Russian Khmeimim airbase.
Security forces said the gunmen involved in the clashes were linked to former special forces commander Suhayl Hasan. At least 15 Syrian security officials have been killed in the fighting, according to Al Jazeera.
Curfews have been imposed in the governorates of Latakia, Tartus, and Homs due to the ongoing clashes, which have become the most intense since the country's shift of power in December 2024. A Russian naval logistics hub is located in Tartus.