In January, days after the first anniversary of the Assad regime in a rebel attack led by the Islamic in Syria, a group of young people – some of whom were armed – were collected, and their phones were examined at the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior almost the empty Ministry of Interior in Damascus.
With Bashar al -Assad’s going, they arrived from Idlib, an area in the northwest in the country, which for years of the opposition -controlled boycott in the country.
Almost overnight, they had passed to the positions that he controlled once by the supporters of Assad, which is handcrafted, and headed by Ahmed Al -Sharra, who were responsible for a 13 -year -old broken country of the civil war.
One of them, 30, was recently appointed as a high -level security official, and I welcomed me in a room where any sign of the old system was removed. Officials made official and shy notes, while admitting that the new rulers faced tremendous security challenges, including the threat from Assad’s loyalists.
The dismantling of the device that dates back to decades behind the repressive machine of Assad, such as the country’s army and the ruling Baath party, means the dismissal of hundreds of thousands of people.
The official, who asked not to be identified, said that he was able to discuss sensitive issues, citing the invitation of the new authorities in the security forces, “
“Our eyes are on everyone, but we do not want to give the impression that we are after them. That is why there were no huge raids.”
Since then, violence has escalated, especially in coastal provinces in Latakia and Tirag, a stronghold of the Assad family, but the clashes have been relatively contained. Until Thursday.
Since the government -related forces carried out an operation in the countryside of Latakia Province, and the targeting of the former Assad official, they were subjected to an ambush by the militants.
At least 13 members of the security forces were killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK -based monitoring group, while a regional official described it as a good planned attack by “Assad militia remains.”
Initially, it is limited to the Joableh area, the disturbances spread on a larger scale. Videos published online showed heavy shooting in different areas. The Syrian Observatory said that the authorities sent reinforcements, and on Friday, the additional clashes killed more than 120 people.
This was the most violent day since the fall of Assad and the greatest challenge so far, even the growing president of the President of the President, Shara, and his efforts to unify power.
[BBC]
According to the Institute of War Study, a research group, former members of the Assad regime are likely to form the most effective rebellious cells against new rulers in Syria with the ability to coordinate the attacks.
“[They] They already have already existing networks that can take advantage of the regulation of rebel cells quickly. These networks are military networks, intelligence, politicians and criminal networks who were supportive of the regime and lost significant economic and political influence in the wake of the fall of Assad. “
The coastal areas in Syria are also the heart of the Assad minority in Assad, and it is a branch of Shiite Islam. Its members played prominent roles in the Assad government, but with the arrival of the rebels led by Sunni Muslims, they lost the power and privilege they had before. They say now that they are being attacked and discriminated, despite Shara’s pledges to respect the various religious sects.
On Friday, activists said that the gunmen killed dozens of male population in the upper areas, which would exacerbate tensions-in order to push the rebels to push them to combat government. The Syrian Observatory said that the militants were government security forces, although this was not verified.
The authorities also faced resistance from the Druze forces in the south, despite reaching a deal earlier this week
The government does not control Damascus in the entire Syria, where different factions – supported by different countries – exercise force on different regions.
But for Shara, the challenge exceeds the task of trying to maintain the safety of the country.
As Western doubts about its intentions continue, its powers are also struggling to obtain sanctions paralyzing Syria under the previous regime, a vital step to revive a country’s economy as every 10 people are in poverty.
