Assad supporters in Syria have started bloody massacres, the country is sliding into civil war

1 month ago
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Fourteen members of the country's new government security service have been killed in the Syrian province of Tartus by local forces supporting the regime of ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad. The dead were ambushed while attempting to arrest an officer linked to the notorious Sednaya prison, The Guardian reports.
The publication noted that three more armed men were killed during clashes in Tartus province. The new Syrian interior minister confirmed this information and added that another 10 policemen were wounded by Assad supporters.
The incident comes as demonstrations and nighttime curfews elsewhere have become the worst unrest since the Syrian dictator's regime was toppled more than two weeks ago, the newspaper said.
Journalists shared that in the city of Homs, Syrian police imposed a night curfew after unrest broke out there due to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the Alawite and Shiite religious minorities. One protester was killed and five others were injured.
Local residents told reporters that the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence directed at members of the Alawite minority, who had long been considered loyal to Assad.In addition, the publication stated that demonstrations of thousands are being held in the coastal cities of Tartus and Latakia. They are also led by Alawites. Fabrice Balanche, a Middle East expert from France's University Lumiere Lyon 2, estimated the Alawite community makes up for about 9% of Syria's population.
"The Alawites were very close to Bashar's regime. Their association with the regime risks provoking collective revenge against them — even more so as Islamists consider them heretics," he told AFP.
Syria’s transition after the fall of Mr Al Assad's government has been so far unchallenged. The interim leader Ahmad Al Shara has vowed to put in place an inclusive government represented by various religious sections.
The country's new rulers have sought to assure religious and ethnic minorities that their rights would be upheld, but minorities in Syria, especially the Alawites are fearful for their future and worry about revenge attacks. Activists have reported some revenge killings in the country in the past few weeks.
The new Syrian authorities said that on December 25, some representatives of the ousted Assad regime attacked Interior Ministry forces in the coastal region of the country, resulting in several deaths and injuries.

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