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14 Security Personnel Killed in Tartous Ambush by Assad Loyalists Amid Alawite Shrine Protests

Dec 25, 2024, 09:30 PM

Clashes erupted in Tartous, Syria, between gunmen loyal to the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad and security forces affiliated with the transitional administration. The violence was triggered by protests condemning the burning of the Abu Abdullah al-Hussein al-Khasibi mausoleum, an Alawite shrine in Aleppo. Syrian Interior Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman reported that 14 security personnel were killed and 10 others injured in an ambush by Assad loyalists in the countryside of Tartous. Curfews have been imposed from the evening until morning in several cities, including Homs, Latakia, Jableh, and Tartous, amid ongoing unrest and demonstrations led by Alawite and Shiite communities. The protests were sparked by the circulation of a video showing the attack on the Alawite shrine, leading to widespread anger among minority groups. The clashes and protests indicate significant unrest in the region following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad.