Syrian forces in deadly clashes with Assad-linked fighters in Latakia

According to Al Jazeera, militants loyal to the ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad killed at least 15 security personnel in an ambush in the coastal province of Latakia. The attack occurred near the town of Jableh in rural Latakia, a region that is a stronghold of the Alawite minority sect to which the Assad family belongs.

A Syrian security source revealed to Al Jazeera Arabic that the 15 security personnel were killed in "various armed ambushes." The source stated, "The Syrian government will impose its authority on all lawless groups and will never allow security to be threatened." This firm stance indicates the government's determination to restore order.

Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar, reporting from Damascus, stated that tensions were high following the attacks. He pointed out, "This may be one of the biggest security challenges facing the new government since the fall of the Assad regime three months ago." The central government has dispatched reinforcements consisting of "dozens of military vehicles" to the city of Latakia from several provinces, including Hama, Homs, and Idlib.

Serdar also reported that shortly after the attacks, a commander from the Assad era released a video claiming that a resistance organization called the "Coast Shield Brigade" had been formed to confront the new government. The Latakia province security chief earlier told the Syrian state news agency SANA that security forces were clashing with armed groups loyal to Suheil al-Hassan, a commander of special forces during the Assad era, in rural Latakia.

Serdar added that Latakia security forces announced that the situation was under control, with several attackers killed and "more captured." A curfew has also been announced in Latakia and the coastal city of Tartus. Syria's Mediterranean coast has become one of the main security challenges facing interim President Ahmed Shala'a, whose government is struggling to consolidate its control over the country.