Syria’s new Interior Minister Mohammed Abdel Rahman says 14 “interior ministry personnel” were killed by what he described as the “remnants of the Assad regime”.
Clashes took place in multiple cities, including the coastal city of Tartus, Homs, and even the capital Damascus. It represents the most violent and widespread unrest in the country since the removal of long-time autocratic President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
Rahman vowed to crack down on “anyone who dares to undermine” the country’s security, endanger the lives of its citizens or halt the processes of peace and stabilising its future.
On Wednesday, demonstrations took place in the city of Homs, according to state media, and were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shia Muslim communities.
The Alawite protests were apparently in part sparked by an online video showing the burning of an Alawite shrine. The interim authorities insisted the video was old and not a recent incident.
Some protesters called for the release of soldiers from the former Syrian army now imprisoned by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least one protestor was killed and five were wounded in Homs as HTS forces looked to quell the unrest.
In response to the protests, the HTS also imposed a curfew from 6 pm to 8 am local time (8 pm to 10 am CET).
State media reports say the curfew is only being imposed for one night but could be renewed if the violence doesn’t cease.
More small demonstrations also took place in other areas, like the city of Tartus, where the majority of Syria’s Alawite minority live, but were not as violent.
Thousand mourn death of SDF fighters
In Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli, Thousands mourned the death of six fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) killed in Manbij in clashes against Turkish-backed fighters.
The SDF announced Tuesday the launch of a counter-offensive against the Turkish-backed fighter’s to reclaim areas near Syria’s northern border.
The Kurdish-led SDF is Washington’s critical ally in Syria, targeting sleeper cells of the extremist Islamic State group scattered across the country’s east.
Since the fall of the totalitarian rule of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, clashes have intensified between the US-backed group and the Syrian National Army, which captured the key city of Manbij and the areas surrounding it.
