TUNIS, March 10. /TASS/. The new Syrian government’s security forces have neutralized units of ex-President Bashar Assad’s armed supporters who carried out attacks in the country’s western regions, Hassan Abdel Ghani, spokesman for the Syrian Defense Ministry in the transitional government, said, announcing an end to the operation in the coastal provinces.
According to him, security forces "have succeeded in neutralizing the remnants of the former regime’s cells" in a number of cities in the Latakia province and several residential areas in the Tartus province, "making it possible to mitigate threats and ensure regional stability."
"We were able to repel attacks by the remnants of the former regime and their officers, preventing them from using the factor of surprise. We were also able to prevent them from reaching vital centers, and ensure the safety of most public roads," the Defense Ministry spokesman stated. "With this achievement, we announce an end to the military operation that was launched with the above-mentioned objectives, which made it possible for government agencies to resume their work, providing essential services to the population," the statement notes.
On March 6, clashes broke out between the security forces loyal to the new Syrian authorities and the armed groups supporting former Syrian President Bashar Assad in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, and Homs. The fiercest fighting took place in the city of Jableh, home to the Alawite religious minority, to which the Assad family belongs. The authorities sent army units and armored vehicles to those provinces, declaring a curfew in their main cities. On March 8, the Syrian transitional government deployed additional forces to the coastal areas in order to restore security and suppress pockets of resistance by the ex-president’s armed supporters.