Syria Clashes: MoD Announces End of Military Operations against Armed Groups

The Syrian Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Monday declared the military operations in the country’s coastal region over.

This comes after days of deadly clashes between the Syrian security forces and armed groups in the cities of Lattakia and Tartous, which claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people, according to a human rights group.

Military Operations Over

The MoD spokesperson, Hassan Abdul Ghani, announced on Monday that the military operations, which aimed to restore calm in Lattakia and Tartous, ended “after achieving its objectives.” He said that the army thwarted the attacks of the armed groups and managed to keep them away from vital centers, securing most of the main roads.

Abdul Ghani said that public institutions have restored its ability to resume work and deliver basic services, amid ongoing efforts to establish security and stability, reported Syria’s state news agency SANA.

On Sunday, the MoD spokesperson announced the start of the second phase of military operations, which aimed to hunt down militants affiliated with armed groups in rural and mountainous area.

The clashes, which broke out on Thursday, have left 1,311 dead, BBC reported citing the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). This figure includes 830 civilians, 231 government security force members, and 250 gunmen.

Destabilization Attempts

The Syrian transitional President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, warned that the latest developments in Syria’s coastal region represent a “new danger” to “create new strife and drag our country into a civil war, aiming to divide and destroy its unity and stability.” He also affirmed that “Syria will remain steadfast, and we will not allow any foreign forces or local parties to drag it into chaos or civil war.”

In a speech, Al-Sharaa said that these dangers “are not mere passing threats, but are a direct result of opportunistic attempts by forces seeking to perpetuate chaos and destroy what remains” of Syria, noting that a similar attempt took place a month and a half ago.

The Syrian interim president pointed to measures taken to address the recent threats, according to SANA. “From the very first moments, we reinforced the area with security forces to protect civil peace and prevent acts of revenge. These forces were attacked, many were killed and burned, and the residents were assaulted,” he said.

Accountability Measures

Al-Sharaa reassured the Syrian people that the state will not tolerate with the armed groups which committed crimes against security forces and state institutions and killed civilians. “These individuals have only one option: to surrender to the law immediately,” he said.

“We affirm that we will hold accountable, with firmness and without leniency, all those involved in the bloodshed of civilians or who harmed our people, those who exceeded the state’s authority or exploited power for their own interests. No one will be above the law, and all those whose hands are stained with Syrian blood will face justice sooner rather than later,” Al-Sharaa confirmed.

In the light of this, Al-Sharaa announced “the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the coastal events, bring the perpetrators to justice, and reveal the facts to the Syrian people so that everyone knows who is responsible for these seditions and plots.” He also declared the “formation of a higher committee to maintain civil peace.”

Investigation Committee

Upon the president’s directives, Syria announced the formation of an independent national committee to investigate and find the facts in the events that took place in the coast region. This committee will submit findings to the Presidency within a maximum period of 30 days, according to SANA.

The committee is responsible for revealing the causes, circumstances and conditions that led to these events, investigating the violations that civilians faced, and identifying those responsible for them. It will also investigate the attacks on public institutions, security personnel and the army, identify those responsible for them, and refer the perpetrators to the judiciary.