Syria's Defence Ministry has formed an emergency committee to investigate alleged violations by its forces during recent military and security operations in the coastal region, a ministry source told state news agency SANA on Saturday. Those found to have violated orders will be referred to military court. More than 145 civilians have been killed by security forces in the rural areas of Latakia, Tartus, and Hama on the Syrian coast, the Syrian Network for Human Rights said on Friday. The organisation added that forces loyal to the former regime killed 100 security personnel and 15 civilians.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights also reported that security forces' campaigns included widespread summary executions and serious violations during security operations in the governorates of Latakia and Tartus. The Defence Ministry, in coordination with the General Security Directorate, has also closed roads leading to the Syrian coast to "control violations, prevent abuses, and gradually restore stability" to the area, the source said. SANA published images showing the deployment of General Security forces in Tartus province to maintain order and protect civilians. The General Security Directorate also reportedly seized weapons and ammunition from what it described as "remnants of the former regime" in Latakia. The developments follow violent clashes in cities and rural areas of Latakia and Tartus over the past two days between Syrian security forces, the Defence Ministry, and armed groups loyal to the former government. On Friday, authorities said they had regained full control of Tartus and Latakia, extending a curfew in both cities until Saturday and deploying additional forces from the Defence Ministry. Clashes began after patrols of the General Security forces were ambushed in rural Latakia, escalating into fighting in several areas, particularly in Qardaha, the ancestral home of the Assad family. This security crisis is considered the biggest test for the Syrian government since the ousting of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024. Security and military forces have been working to contain the armed uprising in the west of the country. Meanwhile, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria on Saturday called on all parties in the country to exercise restraint to avoid further violence as tensions rise in Latakia, Tartus and Hama. The Director of the General Security Directorate in Latakia province, Colonel Mustafa Knaifati, said that "no retaliatory actions will be allowed under any circumstances," and that security forces were pursuing "remnants of the ousted regime and its officers." "We will hold accountable anyone proven to be involved in the attacks, whether from the remnants of the regime or from thieves and saboteurs, and we will take all legal measures against them," Knaifati said, according to SANA. The Arab League said in a statement on Saturday that it was following the security situation in the Syrian coastal region with great concern. It condemned "acts of violence, targeting of government security forces and uncontrolled killings, as well as any external interventions aimed at fuelling internal conditions, threatening civil peace and exacerbating the challenges facing Syria at the present stage." The Arab League stressed that "these conditions require a focus on policies and procedures that enhance and strengthen stability and civil peace in order to thwart any plans aimed at destabilising Syria and undermining its chances of recovery." Separately, Jordan will host a meeting of countries neighbouring Syria on Sunday to discuss mechanisms for cooperation on counter-terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, and other shared challenges, according to Jordanian state broadcaster Al-Mamlaka. Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ambassador Sufian Qudah, said in a statement that the meeting would discuss "ways to support the Syrian people in their efforts to rebuild their homeland on the foundations that guarantee its unity, sovereignty, security and stability, rid it of terrorism, guarantee the conditions for the voluntary return of refugees, and preserve the rights of all its people." The meeting will include foreign ministers, defence ministers, chiefs of staff, and intelligence directors from Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, he added. The meeting comes amid the recent clashes in the Syrian coastal region and a Syrian pledge to Jordan that drug smuggling will not pose a threat to Jordan under the new administration. The two countries have also reportedly agreed to form a joint security committee to secure the borders and cooperate to prevent the return of ISIS. Jordan faces challenges threatening its border security and stability, including drug and arms smuggling operations across its borders.
