Gunmen attacked a place held by Syrian safety forces in Damascus in a single day, a battle monitor mentioned Monday, elevating fears that the deadly violence sweeping Syria’s coastal area might unfold to different elements of the nation.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has monitored the Syrian battle since 2011, mentioned that unidentified gunmen threw grenades and opened fireplace in a single day on a constructing housing authorities safety forces within the extremely fortified Mezzeh district of the capital, Damascus. Clashes with authorities safety forces ensued, and it was unclear if anybody was injured, the observatory mentioned. It added that an unspecified variety of arrests had been made.
There was no speedy remark from Syria’s new authorities or on state information media, and the knowledge couldn’t be independently verified.
The assault got here because the nation was reeling from a spate of violence that erupted last week between fighters affiliated with Syria’s new authorities, headed by Ahmed al-Shara, and people loyal to the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Greater than 1,300 individuals have been killed for the reason that preventing started, largely within the coastal Latakia and Tartus Provinces, the heartland of Syria’s Alawite minority, in keeping with the observatory. It mentioned on Monday that about 1000 civilians had been included in that determine, most of whom had been killed by armed forces affiliated with or loyal to the brand new authorities. The knowledge couldn’t be independently verified.
The violence has stoked fears of a renewed sectarian battle and introduced what gave the impression to be probably the most critical problem but to Syria’s new leaders as they try and unite the nation after greater than a decade of battle. The Assad household is Alawite and the sect dominated the nation’s higher class and highest ranks of the previous regime’s army.
Whereas state information media quoted a spokesman for the protection ministry, Col. Hassan Abdul Ghani, as saying on Monday that the “army operation” was over, the violence reportedly continued, as fighters affiliated with the federal government stormed a city close to the coastal port metropolis of Baniyas and set fireplace to properties, in keeping with the observatory. .
Syria’s interim president, Mr. al-Shara, mentioned on Sunday that the federal government was forming a fact-finding committee to analyze the violence within the coastal areas and to convey the perpetrators to justice. Nevertheless it wasn’t clear if he was acknowledging doable killings by the hands of his forces or laying the blame on former regime components.
In an obvious bid to reassure the nation, he appealed for calm on Sunday and repeated requires Assad loyalists to put down their arms.
“We should protect nationwide unity and civil peace,” Mr. al-Shara mentioned at a mosque in Damascus, in keeping with video that circulated on-line.
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