14 Syrian police killed in ambush as unrest spreads
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Members of Syria's security forces standing guard as former soldiers, police officers and civilians queue at a centre for handing over small arms and security registration with the new authorities, in Damascus, on Dec 24.
PHOTO: AFP
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DAMASCUS – A total of 14 members of the Syrian police were killed in an ambush by forces loyal to the ousted government in the Tartus countryside, the transitional administration said early on Dec 26.
This was as demonstrations and an overnight curfew elsewhere marked the most widespread unrest since former president Bashar al-Assad’s removal more than two weeks ago.
Syria’s new Interior Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman said on messaging app Telegram that 10 police members were also wounded by what he called “remnants” of the Assad government in Tartus, vowing to crack down on “anyone who dares to undermine Syria’s security or endanger the lives of its citizens”.
Earlier, the Syrian police imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, following unrest linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shi’ite Muslim communities.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the demands of the demonstrators nor the degree of disturbance that took place.
Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to Mr Assad, who was toppled by Sunni Islamist rebels
Spokespeople for Syria’s new ruling administration led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.
State media said the curfew was being imposed for one night, from 6pm local time (11pm in Singapore) until 8am on Dec 26.
The country’s new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect minority religious groups, who fear that the former rebels now in control could seek to impose a conservative form of Islamist government.
Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near Syria’s coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority live, including in the city of Tartus.
The demonstrations took place around the time an undated video was circulated on social media showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking around inside and posing near human bodies.
The Interior Ministry said on its official Telegram account that the video dated back to the rebel offensive on Aleppo in late November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever was circulating the video now appeared to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.
The ministry also said that some members of the former regime had attacked Interior Ministry forces in Syria’s coastal area on Dec 25, leaving a number of people dead and wounded. REUTERS
