Germany condemns clashes in Syria, calls for accountability

BERLIN

Germany on Sunday condemned the recent outbreak of clashes in Syria's Tartus, Latakia, and Homs regions.

A Foreign Ministry statement called on the Syrian transitional government to take responsibility to prevent further attacks, investigate the incidents, and hold those responsible accountable.

"We call on all parties to end the violence," the statement said.

The statement stressed that only by ending the violence could Syria achieve social peace after decades of what it described as the Assad regime’s "terrorist rule."

The ministry also stressed the importance of launching a comprehensive political process to secure long-term peace and stability in the country.

"The country’s future must be in the hands of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or gender, free from any foreign attempts to destabilize it," the statement concluded.

In recent days, Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus have seen coordinated attacks by loyalists of the former Assad regime. These attacks, described as the most severe since the regime’s fall in December, targeted security patrols, checkpoints, and hospitals, resulting in deaths and injuries.

In response, security and military forces launched sweeping operations to track down the attackers, leading to fierce clashes, as government officials assert that the situation is moving toward full stability.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.