WASHINGTON, March 9. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Syria’s interim government to hold accountable those responsible for attacks on the country’s minorities.
"The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days. The United States stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families. Syria’s interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria’s minority communities accountable," he said in a written statement.
On March 6, clashes broke out in various areas of the Latakia governorate between Syrian security forces and armed groups supporting former Syrian President Bashar Assad. The fiercest fighting took place in Jableh, home to Alawites, representatives of the religious minority, to which the Assad family belongs. Authorities sent army units and armored vehicles to the three provinces, and curfews have been imposed in the main cities. The Syrian Defense Ministry announced on March 7 that it had regained control of the coastal areas. On March 8, Syria’s interim government deployed additional forces to littoral areas to suppress armed resistance from pro-Assad units. These clashes are the biggest challenge that the transitional government in Damascus has faced since the change of power in December 2024.
According to the Rudaw Kurdish television channel, at least 120 armed pro-Assad militants and 93 government troops have been killed in the fighting in the Latakia and Tartus governorates. The death toll among civilians has exceeded 500, with most of the victims belonging to the Alawite community, which makes up 12% of the country's population.