14 Officers from Interim Syrian Government Killed in Ambush
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Damascus, Dec 26 (NationPress) Fourteen officers from Syria's interim Ministry of Interior lost their lives and ten others were injured during a deceptive ambush in the northwestern province of Tartus on Wednesday, as reported by the interim government's Interior Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman.
The minister characterized the assailants as remnants of the former regime, according to reports from the Xinhua news agency, which cited the local Al-Watan newspaper. The ministry indicated that the deceased officers were engaged in operations to uphold security and safeguard civilians.
No additional information was disclosed.
Earlier reports indicated that violent confrontations broke out between local armed residents and security forces from the military coalition led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) within Tartus province.
The conflict began in the village of Kharbet al-Ma'zza when locals resisted home inspections conducted by the security personnel, leading armed residents to set ablaze a vehicle belonging to the HTS, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A substantial convoy, including fighters from Unit 82 and K9 squads of the military coalition, was dispatched to the area near Latakia province, with reports suggesting that Syria's new authorities are focused on apprehending armed locals they label as remnants of the previous regime in order to avert sectarian unrest in the region, which is demographically diverse.
Following the recent fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria earlier this month, several significant incidents have intensified sectarian tensions nationwide.
On Wednesday, a video surfaced showing an alleged assault on a shrine cherished by Alawite worshippers in Aleppo, igniting protests and demands for accountability.
Protests also erupted in several predominantly Alawite regions, with community members expressing anxiety that the new authorities were insufficiently protecting their religious symbols.
In the meantime, security officials have asserted that such occurrences are isolated and cautioned that remnants of the former government may seek to exploit sectarian divisions to create discord.
