Syrian rebels and Assad supporters clashed, leaving 2 fighters dead – National
Clashes between Islamists who have taken over Syria and supporters of ousted President Bashar Assad killed two Muslim soldiers on Wednesday and wounded others, according to interim officials.
The details of how the fight broke out and who caused the conflict were not yet known. Interim officials in Syria said two fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, had been killed, leading to the surprise attack that toppled Assad earlier this month.
Syria’s transition has been remarkably smooth but it’s been weeks since Assad fled the country and the administration and his forces are melting away. The rebels who overthrew Assad are based on a radical Islamic ideology, and while they have vowed to build a more inclusive system, it is unclear how or if they plan to share power.
Since the fall of Assad, dozens of Syrians have been killed in reprisals, according to activists and monitors, most of them from the small Alawite community, an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which Assad belongs.
In the capital, Damascus, Alawite protesters were heard clashing with Sunni protesters and gunfire was heard. The Associated Press could not confirm details of the shooting.
Alawite protests also took place along the Syrian coast, in the cities of Homs and Hama. Some say that former Syrian army soldiers who are now imprisoned by HTS should be released.
The Alawite protests were apparently sparked by an online video showing the burning of an Alawite shrine. Interim authorities have maintained that the video is old and not a recent incident.
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Sectarian violence has flared since Assad’s ouster but nothing close to the level feared after nearly 14 years of civil war that has killed an estimated half a million people. The war has torn apart Syria, created millions of refugees and displaced tens of thousands across the country.
This week, some Syrians who were forcibly displaced, began to flock to their homes, trying to rebuild their lives. Shocked by the damage, many found the remains of their houses.
In the northwestern province of Idlib, residents were repairing shops and closing damaged windows on Tuesday, trying to restore normalcy.
The city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province has been under the control of HTS for years, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who was once affiliated with al-Qaida, but has been on the rise. attack by government forces.
Hajjah Zakia Daemessaid, who was forcibly displaced during the war, said returning to his home in Idlib was bittersweet.
“My husband and I spent 43 years working hard to save money to build our house, but we found out that everything has been wasted,” said the 62-year-old man.
In the dirt areas, cars were passing by with luggage tied on top. People stood idly on the streets or sat in empty coffee shops.
In Damascus, the new Syrian authorities raided warehouses on Wednesday, seizing drugs such as Capitagon and unga, used by Assad’s forces. One million Capitagon pills and hundreds of kilos (kilograms) of marijuana were burned, interim authorities said.
Albam reported from Damascus, Syria, and Alsayed from Idlib, Syria.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
