Push comes as Syria’s new de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa met Bahraini, Libyan delegations in Damascus.
Syria’s new administration is currently implementing a security crackdown against what it refers to as “remnants” of former President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Operations are ongoing in various parts of the country.
According to the official Syrian news agency SANA, authorities are conducting a “large-scale sweep operation” near Latakia, a city on Syria’s northwestern coast.
The operation was initiated in response to reports of elements linked to remnants of Assad’s militias in the region where al-Assad had support from the Alawite community, as shared by SANA on social media.
Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra reported from Damascus that the new administration clarified that the Alawite community is not the target. Instead, the focus is on soldiers and Syrian army officials associated with al-Assad and his brother, Maher al-Assad.
The authorities have given an ultimatum to these individuals to surrender their weapons to the new administration. Operations are also being carried out in Homs, Aleppo, and the outskirts of Damascus.
This crackdown follows the ambush and killing of 14 police officers in the Tartous governorate by forces loyal to al-Assad. Interior Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman has vowed to take action against anyone disrupting Syria’s security.
After opposition groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) gained control of Syria, a political transition is in progress. Ahmed al-Sharaa, the new de facto leader, has been holding talks with Arab and Western diplomats to ensure the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
Recent tensions raise concerns about the impact on Syria and the wider region. Al-Sharaa has met with a Bahraini delegation and a senior official from Libya’s United Nations-recognised government to discuss cooperation on various issues.
Lebanon expelled around 70 Syrian officers and soldiers who had entered the country illegally, returning them to Syria. Many senior Syrian officials and individuals connected to the al-Assad family had fled to Lebanon after al-Assad’s removal from power.
