Syrian military police arrest 2 men caught abusing civilians in coastal village

By Laith Al-Jnaidi and Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Syrian military police arrested two men Monday after they appeared in a video committing abuses against civilians in a coastal village, according to the state-owned news agency SANA.

The agency reported that the suspects were detained after the footage circulated online, showing them engaging in “illegal and brutal” acts. They have been referred to the military judiciary for prosecution, SANA said.

The arrests came amid heightened security tensions in Syria’s coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus in recent days.

In response, President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday ordered the formation of an independent national committee to investigate and document the incidents.

Last week, Latakia and Tartus governates witnessed coordinated attacks by loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. They were the most intense assaults since the regime’s collapse in December, targeting security patrols and checkpoints and resulting in casualties.

Security forces and the military launched sweeping operations to track down the assailants, engaging in intense clashes. The government said security and stability had been restored in coastal cities, with efforts underway to pursue regime remnants and former officers in rural and mountainous areas.

After the collapse of the Assad regime, the new Syrian authorities launched an initiative to settle the status of former regime members in the military and security forces, contingent on their surrendering weapons and remaining untainted by bloodshed.

While tens of thousands accepted the initiative, some armed groups made up of regime remnants, particularly in the coastal region where high-ranking Assad officers were stationed, rejected it.

Over time, these groups fled to the mountainous areas, stirring tensions, destabilizing the region and launching sporadic attacks against government forces in recent weeks.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.