14 cops killed: unrest in Syria – new authorities sees rearguard motion | EUROtoday

Two weeks after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria is experiencing the worst unrest thus far – apparently between supporters of the overthrown regime and the safety forces. According to the interim authorities, 14 cops had been killed by regime supporters in an ambush in Tartus province. Ten extra officers had been injured, the brand new inside minister introduced on Thursday through the quick message service Telegram.

He spoke of an ambush by the “remnants” of the Assad regime and introduced a troublesome crackdown on “anyone who dares to undermine Syria’s security or endanger the lives of its citizens.” The ministry additionally introduced that members of the previous regime attacked Interior Ministry forces within the Syrian coastal area on Wednesday, leaving a number of lifeless and injured.

A video circulating on the Internet that allegedly reveals the desecration of an Alawite shrine in Aleppo prompted extra pleasure. The Interior Ministry mentioned the recordings had been from November and had been now being distributed particularly to foment battle.

Authorities had beforehand imposed a nighttime curfew on the town of Homs. According to state media experiences, there have been unrest there in reference to demonstrations by members of the Alawite and Shiite minorities who’re thought of loyal to Assad, who was overthrown by Sunni Islamists on December eighth. There had been additionally smaller demonstrations in different coastal areas the place many Alawites stay. The Reuters information company was initially unable to verify both the protesters’ calls for or the extent of the unrest.

The nation’s new management underneath the Islamist insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former department of al-Qaeda, didn’t initially touch upon the incidents. The group says it’s making an attempt to distance itself from its extremist roots and has repeatedly promised to guard spiritual minorities. However, they concern that the previous rebels might impose a conservative Islamic type of authorities. The United Nations and the EU have HTS on the phobia listing.