Assad loyalists kill 14 in 'ambush attack,' claim Syria's new ruling forces
"14 interior ministry personnel were killed and 10 others wounded after... a treacherous ambush by remnants of the criminal regime," Syria’s new Interior Minister said.
At least 14 interior ministry troops were killed in an "ambush" by supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad in the west of the country, Syria’s new rebel-led authorities have reported.
The attack, which also left 10 personnel injured, happened on Tuesday (December 26) near the coastal city of Tartous, a stronghold of Assad's minority Alawite Muslim sect.
What happened?
The incident took place when security forces attempted to arrest a former regime officer who was one of the accused "responsible for the crimes of the Saydnaya prison,” a detention facility near Damascus.
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According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the officer, identified as Mohammed Kanjo Hassan, was responsible for issuing "death sentences and arbitrary judgments against thousands of prisoners."
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The Observatory reported that Hassan’s brother and other armed supporters intercepted the security forces, setting up an ambush near the village and targeting a patrol vehicle.
"14 interior ministry personnel were killed and 10 others wounded after... a treacherous ambush by remnants of the criminal regime" in Tartus province "while performing their tasks of maintaining security and safety," Syria’s new Interior Minister, Mohammed Abdel Rahman, said.
The troops targeted in the ambush were members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led a rebel offensive earlier this month, overthrowing Assad’s government.
Assad fled Syria on December 8 after an 11-day HTS-led offensive. The former president, who ruled Syria since 2000 after succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad, left for Russia, where the Kremlin later confirmed he was granted political asylum.
Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)
