Syria's interim authorities launch operations in Damascus suburbs, Tartus

Damascus, Dec 26 (IANS) Syria's interim administration initiated a security campaign in rural Damascus on Thursday, alongside an operation targeting armed groups in the coastal province of Tartus, local media Al-Watan Online reported.

The campaign targetted neighbourhoods including Qudsaya, al-Hameh, Ash al-Warour, Jabal al-Ward, and Hay al-Wuroud in the countryside of Damascus.

Officials said the operation aimed to "comb the area" by confiscating illegal weapons and detaining individuals identified as "instigators of discord," Al-Watan said.

Meanwhile, in Tartus, authorities announced they had "neutralized" several fighters, whom they referred to as the "remnants of Assad's militias" in wooded areas and on hilltops. The report indicated that operations have been ongoing to apprehend additional fugitives.

The crackdown came as part of a series of security initiatives nationwide, aimed at consolidating the new leadership's authority, Xinhua news agency reported.

It also came a day after protesters took to the streets in Tartus, Latakia, Homs, and Damascus, condemning the alleged attacks on a religious shrine belonging to the Alawite minority.

Security officials insist that such incidents are isolated and warn that remnants of the former regime may be exploiting sectarian divisions to sow discord.

On Wednesday, it was reported that as many as 14 officers from Syria's interim Ministry of Interior were killed and 10 others injured in a "treacherous ambush" in the northwestern province of Tartus.

The interim government's Interior Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman described the attackers as "remnants" of the former government.

The ministry said the slain officers were carrying out duties aimed at maintaining security and protecting civilians.

Following the recent collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria earlier this month, several high-profile incidents have heightened sectarian tensions across the country.

On Wednesday, a video circulated depicting an alleged attack on a shrine revered by Alawite worshipers in Aleppo sparked protests and calls for accountability.

Demonstrations also erupted in several predominantly Alawite areas, with community members voicing concerns that the new authorities were not doing enough to protect their religious symbols.

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