A recent report from a war monitor indicated that four civilians lost their lives during a security operation in the Daatur district of Latakia, a region historically supportive of former President Bashar al-Assad. This operation coincided with escalating clashes in the southern province of Daraa, where at least seven security personnel and associated combatants were reported dead.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights detailed that the fatalities in Latakia included two construction workers who were killed on Wednesday and two local school guards who died the previous day. The region remains a significant stronghold for Assad’s regime and is also the heartland of his family’s Alawite minority.
According to state media reports, the security operation was launched in response to an ambush that resulted in the deaths of two security personnel, allegedly executed by militia remnants still loyal to Assad. Mustafa Kneifati, a security official for Latakia province, stated that during the raid, a criminal cell engaged in violent resistance, throwing bombs at security patrols and wounding several personnel. In response, security forces targeted the sources of the gunfire, leading to multiple arrests.
The Observatory noted that following these arrests, a “cautious calm” returned to Daatur, as local tensions seemed to subside temporarily.
Meanwhile, in the southern province of Daraa, a separate operation unfolded in the town of Sanamayn, targeting wanted individuals and arms. The Observatory reported that clashes resulted in the deaths of three internal security personnel along with one local fighter, while several civilians, including women and children, sustained injuries. These developments followed another set of clashes the previous day, which left three fighters dead and three civilians injured, including a child.
Local reports indicated that military operations were ongoing to eliminate armed elements in the area. Local security official Abdul-Razzaq al-Khatib mentioned that military reinforcements had been dispatched to Sanamayn as fighting continued, particularly in heavily populated buildings.
Daraa, a region that played a pivotal role in the initial protests against Assad in 2011, experienced a return to government control in 2018 but has since struggled with persistent unrest. Ongoing violence attributed to supporters of the former regime has prompted the new authorities to escalate operations against remaining “regime remnants.”
In Latakia, the security situation has seen fluctuations, with initial rises in tensions and violence and targeted reprisals against individuals perceived as affiliated with the defunct government. However, these incidents have reportedly diminished in frequency despite sporadic violence against security checkpoints.
