Thu Mar 06 20:53:39 UTC 2025: ## Assad Loyalists Kill 15 in Syria Ambushes, Sparking Tensions
**Latakia, Syria –** At least 15 Syrian security personnel were killed in a series of ambushes in Latakia province on Thursday, a Syrian security source told Al Jazeera. The attacks, near the town of Jableh, were reportedly carried out by gunmen loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
The ambushes represent a significant challenge to the interim government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, just three months after the Assad regime’s fall. Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar reported from Damascus that tensions are high following the attacks, describing them as “perhaps one of the biggest security challenges” the new government faces.
The government responded by deploying significant reinforcements to Latakia, including “dozens and dozens of military vehicles” from neighboring governorates. A video subsequently emerged, claiming responsibility for the attacks on behalf of a newly formed resistance group, the “coastal shield regiment,” led by a former Assad-era commander.
While Latakia’s security director reported clashes with armed groups loyal to former special forces commander Suhail al-Hassan, authorities announced that the situation is now under control, claiming the killing and capture of several attackers. A curfew has been imposed in the coastal city of Tartous. The ongoing instability in Syria’s coastal region highlights the struggle for control in the aftermath of the regime change.
First Piper 