14 Syrian security personnel killed in Tartous during clashes with one of Assad's officers

Fourteen members of the Syrian General Security were killed and ten others were injured on Wednesday evening during clashes with an officer of the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad in the countryside of Tartous, according to what the Minister of the Interior announced.

Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Abdul Rahman said on Wednesday evening in a statement published on his Facebook page that 14 members of the Interior Ministry were killed and 10 others were injured "after being subjected to a treacherous ambush by remnants of the criminal regime in the countryside of Tartous Governorate while they were performing their duties to maintain security and the safety of the residents."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a report on Wednesday evening that the elements were killed in clashes with an armed group led by an officer of the ousted Assad regime, who held the position of Director of the Military Justice Department, Head of the Field Court, and one of those responsible for the crimes of Sednaya Prison, from his place of residence in Khirbet al-Maaza in the countryside of Tartous Governorate in western Syria.

The Observatory stated in its report that the brother of the wanted man intercepted the General Security personnel while they were pursuing him, accompanied by an armed group, and they expelled the patrol from the town, and targeted one of the patrol cars, which led to the killing of some personnel and the injury of others in it.

Tartous Governor Ahmed Al-Shami announced that he met on Wednesday with a number of dignitaries, intellectuals and notables of Tartous against the backdrop of the recent events in some areas of the province. In a statement, the governor called for "the use of reason, awareness and the language of dialogue, avoiding those who incite sedition and sectarian strife, and working together to open a new path to build a new, free Syria that accommodates all its people."

In addition, Latakia Governor Mohammed Othman reassured the Syrian people, with all their components, that "the Syrian government is committed to preserving civil peace and societal cohesion. Our security and police forces are carrying out their duties to maintain security, and we call on the Syrian people not to be drawn into reactions," according to a statement he made on Wednesday.

A person was killed in Homs and a gang leader threatens the people of Houla

In a separate report, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a civilian was killed and five others were injured by Syrian General Security bullets on Wednesday in Homs, central Syria. This was denied by identical media sources in the city, who confirmed that former members of the Assad regime were responsible for shooting at the demonstrations before the General Security intervened to restore security and impose a curfew.

Protests erupted earlier on Wednesday in Homs and some areas on the Syrian coast, including Qardaha and Jableh in the Latakia countryside, after a video clip was circulated of what was said to be the burning of the shrine of Abu Abdullah al-Hussein bin Hamdan al-Khusseibi, near the Hanano barracks in Aleppo, northern Syria. He is one of the symbols and sheikhs of the Alawite sect. It was later revealed that the video is old, dating back to the period of the battles that took place in the city of Aleppo, northern Syria, earlier this month, while it was circulated on Wednesday, sparking protests that raised sectarian slogans and banners.

In a related context, the so-called Shujaa al-Ali appeared in a video recording on Wednesday, threatening the people of al-Houla in the northern Homs countryside, and threatening the peace of the people in the region. Identical field sources confirmed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that al-Ali, who is the leader of a kidnapping gang previously supported by the Assad regime, threatened, while he was in the village of Khirbet al-Hamam, west of Homs, on the road between the city and the Lebanese border, with killing operations targeting the people of the al-Houla region, and also threatened to burn mosques there.

The sources confirmed that the residents of the northern Homs countryside and the city of Homs demanded that the General Security and the Military Operations Department pursue Al-Ali and his gang members, given their threat to the peace of the people in the region and their attempt to drag them into sectarian confrontations.

The so-called Shujaa al-Ali hails from the town of Balqsa in the western Homs countryside. Before the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, he led a gang of 400 armed men, according to estimates. According to what lawyer Ammar Ezzedine confirmed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the gang deliberately kidnapped civilians heading to Lebanon or Syria, and negotiated huge sums of money with their families. It would photograph the victims while they were being tortured and send the photos to the families to negotiate with them.

Al-Ali owns more than seven gas stations and more than five restaurants. The lawyer added: “The militia leader, who hails from the village of Balqsa in the Homs countryside, is supported by Fouad Ahmed al-Saeed, Youssef Mufid al-Saeed, Ali Mufid al-Saeed, and Muhannad Fouad al-Saeed, who hail from the village of Marsaya in the western Homs countryside.”

It is noteworthy that last July, the Al-Ali gang kidnapped a woman and three of her children from Daraa in southern Syria while they were heading to Lebanon, and demanded a large ransom for their release. Last August, the gang kidnapped five women from Daraa on the Homs-Lebanon road, and released them hours later.

(New Arab)