70+ killed in fierce clashes in Syria's Latakia
Shafaq News/ Bloody clashes in the coastal Syrian city of Latakia have left more than 70 people dead, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Friday.
In several posts on X, the Observatory stated that hostilities erupted between fighters linked to Syria's ousted leader Bashar al-Assad and personnel from the Syrian government's defense and interior ministries, adding, 'The region witnessed intense fighting and ambushes, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, as well as numerous captives.'
Amid deployments by convoys of military and security forces in Latakia and Tartus | The number of fata*lities in attacks and bloody clashes exceeds 70 #SOHR https://t.co/ve7wgSnoEr
— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) March 7, 2025
The escalation is ongoing, with large reinforcements from the Syrian government having arrived, the Observatory confirmed, noting that the 'well-organized operation' began in Daliya and Beit Aana in the Jableh countryside, Latakia province.
Ambushes reportedly took place on the Tartus-Homs road targeting Ministry of Defense forces, as well as on the Aleppo-Latakia road, where militants from the ousted regime's army attacked. Al-Qardaha remains uncontested, while the Tartus city is under full control of the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior, along with the cities of Baniyas, Jableh, and Latakia.
مدير #المرصد_السوري: مدينة #طرطوس تخضع للسيطرة الكاملة من قبل وزارتي الدفاع والداخلية، ومدن #بانياس و #جبلة و #اللاذقية معظمها تحت السيطرة أيضاً، لكن المعضلة ستكون الأرياف التي تشهد وجود مسلحين من أتباع جيش النظام البائد. الاشتباكات مستمرة في كثير من المناطق منذ أكثر من 14 ساعة،… pic.twitter.com/hVXWh1qXA9
— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) March 7, 2025
Regarding the support behind these attacks, SOHR hinted that an external group, possibly Hezbollah or another party, may have facilitated the weapons supply, referring to the newly formed Islamic Resistance Front which emerged in Syria in response to the fall of the al-Assad regime and the Israeli invasion of the country. However, Hezbollah, which ended its presence in Syria after al-Assad's downfall, has not confirmed these claims.
On Thursday evening, violent clashes erupted between Syrian government forces and former regime armed groups in Latakia province, with the Observatory confirming at least 48 deaths in the bloody confrontations in Jableh and its surroundings. The casualties reportedly included 28 pro-al-Assad fighters, four civilians shot by Syrian security forces, and 16 security personnel killed by the militants.
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