Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has urged forces still loyal to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad to lay down their weapons as human rights monitors report civilians are among hundreds of people killed in wave of violence.
The statements on Friday night came after Hasan Abdel-Ghani, spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Defence, told Al Jazeera that fighters loyal to al-Assad on Thursday attacked security forces in several places in Latakia and Tartous governorates, killing “a number of security forces” in what he described as well-planned operations.
The area is home to the Alawite minority sect to which the al-Assad family belongs.
In a speech broadcast on Telegram, al-Sharaa said that the Alawite sect had made an “unforgivable mistake” as he called for government aligned forces not to “exaggerate in their response”.
“The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it,” he said. “Lay down your weapons and surrender before it’s too late.”
On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that more than 340 people, including civilians, have been killed in violence along the western coast, which is heavily populated by members of the Alawite minority. Amid the ongoing fighting, civilians and their families have entered the Russian Khmeimim base in the countryside of Latakia to seek refuge.
Meanwhile, the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said he was “deeply alarmed” by the developments.
“While the situation remains fluid and we are still determining the precise facts, there is clearly an immediate need for restraint from all parties, and full respect for the protection of civilians in accordance with international law,” Pedersen said in a statement.
“All parties should refrain from actions that could further inflame tensions, escalate conflict, exacerbate the suffering of affected communities, destabilize Syria, and jeopardise a credible and inclusive political transition.”
Fighting ongoing
Al Jazeera’s Omar Al Hajj, reporting from the city of Tartous, said on Friday that authorities lost control in several neighbourhoods after the “rebellions”, but “reinforcements … from different provinces and districts” had carried out a “huge security operation” in Tartous, Latakia and Banias.
On Saturday, the Latakia governate said further security forces had arrived at the coastal city of Jableh, where al-Assad-aligned forces targeted security patrols and checkpoints on Thursday. Video posted on Telegram showed a convoy arriving in the town of Qardaha.
Meanwhile, the SANA state news agency said a convoy from the General Security Administration had entered the coastal city of Baniyas in Tartous.
Reporting from the capital Damascus, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said that while security officials have said fighting has calmed in some towns, the fighting is continuing in some more farflung areas.
He added a “tragedy” was growing due to the civilian death toll from both sides.
“Hundreds of people have been killed and the majority of them are civilians,” Serdar added.
‘Snowballing for some time’
The attack on Syrian forces by those loyal to the former removed president shakes al-Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate control amid ongoing US sanctions and security challenges, including the presence of Israeli troops in the southwest.
But the Alawite have said their communities in rural Homs and Latakia have been subjected to violence and attacks after al-Assad was overthrown. While al-Sharaa has pledged to run the country inclusively, there have been no meetings between him and senior Alawite figures, contrary to other minority groups.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security at King’s College London, said the current situation “has been unfortunately snowballing for some time”. That has included the announcement of the Syrian Popular Resistance’s presence in Syria.
He described the group as “mainly former Assad regime special forces”.
“It was actually quite impressive that the new government under Ahmed al-Sharaa has managed to keep a lid on things until now – but their bluff has been very much called,” he said.
“[The interim government] now need to respond, they need to respond decisively, they need to show that they are the ones in charge, but they also need to do so without alienating the Alawites.”
He added a lack of “reconciliation” for the myriad abuses committed by various groups during al-Assad’s rule has not yet been addressed, leading some to take matters into their own hands.