Nearly 200 killed in Syria’s deadliest clashes since Assad’s fall: Report

ISTANBUL

Clashes between Syrian government forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad have left nearly 200 dead, marking the bloodiest outbreak of violence since Assad was toppled in December, according to a report on Friday.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that fighting erupted Thursday when pro-Assad militants ambushed security forces in Latakia, a coastal province and former stronghold of the deposed leader’s Alawite support base. In response, government-backed fighters stormed several villages, killing dozens.

"They killed every man they encountered," said SOHR chief Rami Abdurrahman, describing the scale of the retaliation.

SOHR said the dead include at least 50 government troops and 45 pro-Assad fighters, with additional casualties in targeted villages. Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV reported that more than 30 men were killed in Mukhtariyeh.

The Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an unnamed security official who acknowledged that some "individual violations" occurred as people sought revenge for recent attacks on government forces.

In response to the escalating crisis, Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, vowed to hunt down the "remnants" of Assad’s regime and bring them to trial. His administration, which emerged from the Islamist-led rebellion that toppled Assad, has pledged to end sectarian violence and unify the war-ravaged nation.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen urged all sides to "refrain from actions that could further inflame tensions, escalate conflict, exacerbate the suffering of affected communities, destabilize Syria, and jeopardize a credible and inclusive political transition."

With government forces reinforcing positions in Latakia, Tartus and Jableh, curfews remain in place, and tensions continue to run high in the coastal strongholds of Syria’s former ruler.