Syria: Clashes erupt at power station in Baniyas as pro-Assad militants target energy infrastructure

Clashes have broken out between Syrian security forces and loyalist factions at a gas-powered electricity station in the coastal city of Baniyas, located in the Tartus governorate.

According to the Syrian state news agency, armed groups loyal to the former president, Bashar al-Assad, launched an assault on the facility with the aim of sabotaging the city’s energy infrastructure, Caliber.Az reports.

The security forces, aligned with Syria’s interim government, are currently engaged in efforts to regain control of the power station.

This incident comes amid ongoing tensions in the region, as various factions continue to vie for influence over key strategic sites.

As a reminder, violence erupted across Syria's coastal provinces of Latakia, Tartus, and Homs on March 6, resulting in at least 532 civilian deaths, primarily from the Alawite community, which makes up about 12% of Syria’s population. The death toll has now reached 745, including 213 combatants, with 93 security personnel loyal to the Damascus transitional government and 120 members of armed groups supporting former President Bashar al-Assad among the casualties.

The unrest began when security forces clashed with Assad loyalists, with the heaviest fighting occurring in Jableh, a stronghold of the Alawite minority. The government responded by deploying military units and armoured vehicles, imposing curfews in major cities.

By March 7, the Syrian Defence Ministry confirmed that security forces had regained control of the coastal regions. This two-day conflict represents the most significant challenge faced by Syria’s transitional government since its establishment in December 2024. According to Latakia’s Internal Affairs Department, 50 security personnel were killed during the operation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev