DUBAI, March 15. /TASS/. The number of civilians killed in the fighting in western Syria has risen to 1,500, the Sham TV channel reported.
According to its information, at least 1,500 civilians have been killed as a result of fighting between the forces of the Syrian interim government and supporters of former President Bashar Assad in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, Hama and Homs. The highest death toll was recorded in the Latakia governorate in northwestern Syria, where at least 745 civilians were killed in clashes.
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.
On March 10, the Defense Ministry announced the end of the operation in the country's coastal provinces and the neutralization of pro-Assad militias that posed a security threat.