Rudaw: Syria's coastal provinces erupt in deadly clashes Hundreds killed

At least 532 civilians have been killed since March 6 in violent clashes across Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia, Tartus, and Homs.

As stated by Kurdish broadcaster Rudaw, most of those killed belonged to the Alawite community, which comprises around 12% of Syria’s population, Caliber.Az reports.

The overall death toll since the fighting began has risen to 745, including 213 combatants. Among them were 93 security personnel loyal to the transitional government in Damascus and 120 members of armed groups backing former President Bashar al-Assad.

To recall, the violence erupted on March 6 when security forces clashed with Assad loyalists in the three provinces. The heaviest fighting took place in the city of Jableh, a stronghold of the Alawite minority, to which the Assad family belongs.

The government deployed army units and armoured vehicles to the affected areas, imposing curfews in major cities. On March 7, the Syrian Defence Ministry announced that security forces had regained control of the coastal regions.

The two-day conflict marked the most significant challenge to Syria’s transitional government since it took power in December 2024. According to Latakia’s Internal Affairs Department, 50 security personnel were killed in the operation to quell the uprising.

By Aghakazim Guliyev