Syria: Injuries Reported During Gunfire Amid Protests in Latakia

SadaNews - The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced that two members of the security forces and several civilians were injured due to gunfire during protests that took place yesterday, Tuesday, in the city of Latakia, northwest of the country, demanding the release of those accused of committing crimes and violations during the regime of the ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

The head of internal security in Latakia province, Abdul Aziz al-Ahmad, stated in remarks reported by the official news agency (SANA) that "while our forces were protecting the gathering at the Agriculture Roundabout in Latakia, they faced direct gunfire from an area inhabited by officers connected to the security and military institutions of the ousted regime."

Al-Ahmad explained that the gunfire resulted in injuries to two internal security personnel and several civilians participating in the gathering.

This event was part of protests in several areas of the Syrian coast, Homs, and Hama, where participants demanded the release of detainees from the Alawite sect and the establishment of a federal governance system.

The security official mentioned that these gatherings "initially appeared under a protest cover but quickly transformed into systematically instigated sectarian platforms that seek to sow division and create a rift in the local community."

He indicated that the protesters called for the release of what he described as war criminals involved in bloody acts and grave violations.

Accusations Against Assad's Loyalists

Al-Ahmad noted that security forces had monitored "groups linked to criminal cells belonging to the remnants of the ousted regime that worked to fuel chaos and incitement, assaulting police, special mission forces, and traffic police, as well as vandalizing and destroying several official vehicles."

Earlier, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, Nour al-Din al-Baba, stated to the media that internal security units secured the protest gatherings in some coastal areas of Syria to prevent any emergency incidents that could be exploited by those promoting chaos, according to his expression.

He added that the Ministry of Interior "reserves the right to freedom of expression for everyone, provided that this expression is under the law and does not disrupt public peace."

He pointed out that "the entities that promote and market for chaos in the coastal areas are all located outside the country and detached from the living reality of our people in the coast."

These protests come on the heels of sectarian violence that has been witnessed in the city of Homs in the center of the country, adding to a series of similar disturbances that Syria has experienced in recent months following the fall of the Assad regime.

Source: Al Jazeera