The Syrian army deployed armoured vehicles and tanks to coastal cities on Sunday after protests demanding self-determination turned violent, leaving at least three people dead and 60 others injured in clashes between security forces and demonstrators.
The Syrian Ministry of Defence announced it had deployed army units supported by armoured vehicles in the city centres of Latakia and Tartus to “maintain security and restore stability” in cooperation with internal security forces. The deployment followed demonstrations in the Syrian coastal region and central provinces called for by Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Alawite Supreme Council.
A Syrian security source told the state news agency SANA that three people were killed and 60 were injured during what they described as an “attack by remnants of the defunct regime on security forces and civilians” in Latakia. The Interior Ministry stated that security personnel assigned to protect the protests faced “direct attacks” in Latakia and rural Tartus by groups linked to the former administration.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) provided a differing account, reporting that Syrian security forces “killed” two people while dispersing Alawite demonstrations. A medical source told AFP that two bodies were transported to a local hospital. Earlier, the SOHR reported an attack involving machetes and knives against protesters at the Al-Amara roundabout in Jableh, Latakia province, leaving at least one person in a critical condition.
According to the Latakia Health Directorate, hospitals received patients suffering from stab wounds, injuries from stones, and gunshot wounds. The directorate also noted that two ambulances were forced out of service after being damaged by protesters.
State media reported that “gunmen from the remnants of the former regime” opened fire in Latakia, killing a member of the security forces. The state-run Al-Ikhbariyah channel reported that direct fire was aimed at security elements at the Al-Azhari roundabout in Latakia while they were purportedly protecting the demonstrators.
The Interior Ministry claimed its forces were attacked by “terrorist elements” and identified the presence of masked, armed individuals belonging to groups called “Serraya Dera’a al-Sahel” and “Serraya al-Jawad.” The ministry alleged these groups are responsible for field executions and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on the M1 motorway.
In contrast, the SOHR accused Syrian forces of cutting off roads in Alawite-majority neighbourhoods in coastal cities and Homs with security checkpoints to prevent demonstrators from reaching protest sites. The monitoring group further alleged that General Security opened fire to disperse crowds at the Al-Azhari roundabout and reported “attempts to run over protesters.”
The demonstrations, held under the slogan “Self-Determination,” spread through Latakia, Tartus, Homs, and Hama. They followed a call for action by Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal in the wake of a suicide bombing at an Alawite mosque in Homs, an attack claimed by Islamic State.
The coastal region has remained a flashpoint of tension since the fall of the former government. In March, a national investigation committee reported that at least 1,426 Alawites were killed in a wave of violence.
