Police and military forces launched a “combing operation” on Thursday in neighborhoods inhabited by the religious minority from which the Assad clan originates in the city of Homs in western Syria. They are looking for “war criminals” and people who “refused to lay down their weapons and go to registration centers.”
The authorities introduced a curfew in some districts, the Syrian news agency SANA reported. The Ministry of Internal Affairs called on their residents to “stay in their homes and fully cooperate with our forces.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) reported that the operation covered districts inhabited by Alawites – the religious minority from which the Assad clan originates. The regime of Bashar al-Assad, in power in Syria for 24 years, he was overthrown in December.
– A tank entered our district. We heard from loudspeakers to move away from the windows, and then we heard gunfire, an eyewitness described to AFP. – We heard that they were entering houses, conducting searches, and young men were being arrested – he added.
“Combing operation” of neighborhoods in the city of HomsReuters
According to official sources, the operation also targets “fugitives, ammunition and hidden weapons.” The authorities claim that they have received information about armed members of the “Assad militia” who are said to be hiding in the city. Former soldiers and officers should have – in accordance with the authorities' demands – reported to registration centers, surrendered their weapons and “settled their situation”.
“The campaign aims to track down former members (of pro-government militias) and those who organized or participated in last week's Alawite demonstrations, which the administration considered as incitement against it,” said OSDH head Rami Abdel Rahman.
“What is happening today in Homs (…) threatens the unity of Syria,” warned Muna Ganem, an opponent of the Assad regime, on social media. “We must (…) make everyone understand that we will not accept the new Assad,” added the women's rights defender.
Despite repeated assurances from the new authorities, Alawites fear repression both as a religious minority (a branch of the Shiite faith, while the vast majority of Syrian Muslims are Sunni) and because of their links with the Assad family, which has exercised dictatorial power in Syria for over half a century. .
Clashes with forces loyal to Assad
In recent days, there have been clashes between the Syrian services and forces loyal to the deposed President Assad. People died on both sides. Clashes occurred, among others, in the Homs region. New Interior Minister Mohammad Abdul Rahman threatened to “annihilate anyone who dares to threaten the security of Syria or the lives of its citizens.”
On December 8, Syrian rebels led by the Islamist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced the overthrow of the Assad regime, which had remained in power in recent years largely thanks to the help of Russia and Iran.
Main photo source: Reuters