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Call for Peace Amidst Escalating Violence in Syria

In a significant address, Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa emphasized the importance of peace and national unity following a devastating surge of violence that has left hundreds dead in coastal regions. This marks the most severe communal conflict since the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

During a speech in his childhood neighborhood of Mazzah in Damascus, al-Sharaa stated, “We must maintain our national unity and coexistence; we are capable of living together.” His comments come as clashes persist between new Islamist forces and fighters aligned with Assad’s Alawite sect.

Al-Sharaa reassured the public regarding Syria’s resilience, asserting, “Syria possesses the qualities necessary for endurance.” He characterized the ongoing turmoil as a response to anticipated challenges within the country.

According to Syrian security officials, fighting erupted on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of at least two hundred security personnel as they faced attacks from defectors loyal to Assad. These assaults included coordinated attacks and ambushes, leading to escalating tensions.

As the conflict intensified, thousands of armed supporters of Syria’s new leadership mobilized toward coastal areas to back the beleaguered new administration. This influx of reinforcements triggered a cycle of retaliation, as armed groups engaged in vengeance-driven violence.

The authorities have attributed the brutal killings of numerous young individuals and aggressive home raids in towns predominantly inhabited by the previously ruling minority to rogue militias. These groups have a history of claiming to support the security forces while blaming Assad’s loyalists for past atrocities.

Recent reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring organization based in the U.K., indicate that the clashes in the Mediterranean coastal region represent some of the most severe violence witnessed in the lengthy 13-year civil conflict.

Further hostilities were reported overnight in several towns, where armed factions attacked security forces and set ambushes on main highways, complicating the security situation in the coastal areas, according to sources from the Syrian security apparatus.

Source
www.cbc.ca