UNITED NATIONS, March 10. /TASS/. The United Nations has evacuated some of its personnel from coastal regions of Syria amid the latest outburst of violence in these areas, the UN secretary-general’s Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
In his words, "some staff" were evacuated from coastal areas of Syria, "but not a large number."
On March 6, clashes broke out in the governorates of Latakia, Tartus and Homs between the security forces under the new Syrian authorities and supporters of former President Bashar Assad. The fiercest fighting took place in the town of Jebla, home to the Alawites, a religious minority to which the Assad family belongs. The authorities sent army units and armored vehicles to the abovementioned governorates, and curfews were imposed in major cities. On March 8, Syria's interim government sent additional army forces to the coastal areas to restore security there and suppress resistance by armed men supporting the former president.
According to latest reports, at least 250 armed supporters of the former president were killed in the clashes, as well as 231 members of the new government’s security forces. The number of civilians killed exceeded 900. Most of them were Alawites.