The Syrian defence ministry announced on Monday that a military operation against loyalists of ousted president Bashar Al Assad had been successfully completed, following the deadliest clashes since former rebels took power three months ago.
The fighting, which erupted in Assad’s former coastal stronghold, has left over 1,000 people dead, including 745 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The surge in violence has heightened concerns over the country’s future, as Ahmed Al Sharaa and his Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group struggle to consolidate control while managing tensions with regional powers.
The Syrian conflict remains complex, with Turkey-backed groups clashing with Kurdish forces in the northeast, while Israel continues striking military sites in Syria. Reports suggest Israel is pressuring the United States to maintain Syria’s instability.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), defence ministry spokesperson Hassan Abdul Ghany declared that public institutions were resuming operations and that efforts were underway to restore normalcy.
“We are paving the way for life to return to normal and for the consolidation of security and stability,” he said.
Despite the announcement of military success, the government has vowed to continue eliminating any remnants of the former regime. Sharaa reaffirmed his commitment on Sunday to tracking down those responsible for the violent clashes, warning that anyone who challenged the new leadership’s authority would be held accountable.
To investigate the recent bloodshed, the HTS leadership has established an independent committee to examine the killings and clashes committed by both sides. Abdul Ghany confirmed that security forces would fully cooperate, granting the committee access to uncover the truth and ensure justice.
“We absorbed the attacks from the remnants of the former regime. We shattered their element of surprise and managed to push them away from vital centres, securing most of the main roads,” he stated.
Though relative calm followed Assad’s overthrow in December, violence flared as HTS forces cracked down on an Alawite-led insurgency. The revenge killings against Alawites, a minority sect that had been favoured under Assad’s rule, have fueled further tensions. Many senior military officials and bureaucrats in Assad’s government were from the Alawite community, deepening the divide between sectarian groups.
The British-based Syrian Observatory estimates that in just two days of fighting, 125 Syrian security forces personnel and 148 Assad loyalist fighters were killed alongside hundreds of civilians.
Assad fled to Russia last year after his government collapsed, bringing an end to his decades-long rule marked by brutal repression and a civil war that devastated Syria. However, as Syria’s new rulers attempt to unify a deeply divided country, the conflict appears far from over.
