Syria’s President al-Sharaa calls for ‘peace, calm’ amid brutal clashes

Fighting erupted at the Banias natural gas power plant in Syria, hours after Syria's interim President Ahmad Shalah called for peace, as escalating communal violence in the coastal region has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. This incident marks a further deterioration of the situation in Syria, making the call for peace particularly urgent. The international community is watching closely, hoping for a swift resolution to the conflict.

Syria's official news agency SANA reported on Sunday that fighting broke out between security forces and "remnants of the former regime" after they attacked the power plant. This followed clashes between newly appointed forces and militants loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad, prompting Shalah to call for "maintaining national unity and domestic peace; we can live together." Such appeals highlight the deep divisions within Syrian society.

According to the UK-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 745 Alawite civilians have been killed in Latakia and Tartus since Thursday, along with approximately 125 members of government security forces. Furthermore, the Observatory added that 148 pro-Assad militants were killed, bringing the total death toll to 1,018. Al Jazeera has not been able to independently verify these figures, underscoring the challenges of reporting from the conflict zone.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called for an immediate cessation of violence in Syria. Türk stated: "All killings and other violations must be swiftly, transparently and impartially investigated, and perpetrators must be held accountable in accordance with international human rights norms and standards. Groups terrorizing civilians must be held responsible." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Sunday stating that "Syria's interim authorities must hold accountable the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria's minority communities." These calls emphasize the need for justice and accountability in the wake of the violence.

Al Jazeera's correspondent Resul Serdar, reporting from Damascus, said that as the conflict significantly decreases, the truth of what happened in the past four days is becoming clearer. He said: "The pictures that are coming out are indeed shocking. The death toll is high and is expected to increase in the coming hours and days as officials controlling the area are still discovering (bodies). As of now, it is extremely difficult to clarify the exact numbers." The situation on the ground remains fluid and uncertain.

Serdar explained that despite Shalah's earlier claims to rule the country as a whole, the recent conflict serves as a stark reminder of the extent of Syria's divisions. He added: "Some unconfirmed (new) cabinet lists are being published, and we see Alawite members, Kurds, Turkmens, Arabs, Sunni, Shia, Muslims, Christians in the cabinet, which is absolutely necessary for this country." This proposed diversity in the cabinet suggests an attempt to bridge the divides and foster inclusivity.

On Sunday, fiber optic cables connecting the provinces of Daraa and Damascus were damaged, resulting in "interruptions to telecommunications and internet services in the governorates of Daraa and Suwayda," according to the head of Daraa's telecommunications branch. Ahmad al-Hariri said in a press release that the incident was due to "repeated attacks on telecommunications infrastructure, leading to the cutting of vital fiber optic cables connecting the two governorates with the main telecommunications center." Such attacks further destabilize the region and hinder communication efforts.