In Syria, forces loyal to Assad killed 14 and wounded 10 policemen – mass media

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In Syria, 14 police officers were killed and 10 wounded in an “ambush” arranged by forces loyal to the overthrown regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Source: Reuters citing the Syrian Interior Minister

Details: According to the publication, it happened in the countryside of Tartus.

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The transitional administration announced the incident as demonstrations and overnight curfews elsewhere marked the worst unrest since Assad’s ouster more than two weeks ago.

Syria’s new interior minister announced the killing of 14 police officers and the wounding of 10 by what he described as “remnants” of the Assad regime in Tartus, vowing to crack down on “anyone who dares to undermine Syria’s security or endanger the lives of its citizens.”

Earlier, Syrian police imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, following unrest linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shiite Muslim religious communities.

We will remind:

• The Assad regime held power in Syria for 53 years and collapsed after a 12-day offensive by rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or the Levant Liberation Organization, ended on December 8 with the capture of the country’s capital, Damascus.
• The head of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, Hadi Al-Bahra, announced plans to form a civilian government after the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
• Muhammad al-Bashir became the new interim prime minister of Syria.
• The Russian state agencies TASS and RIA Novosti reported that the deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad and his family are in Moscow, and Russia has given them asylum.
• On December 16, The Wall Street Journal noted that after the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a “hunt” began for his family’s wealth, which they accumulated during half a century of authoritarian rule. According to estimates, their assets may reach 12 billion dollars, accumulated during half a century of dictatorial rule.
• The Financial Times reported that Russia has withdrawn at least 400 soldiers from the Damascus region after talks with the new Syrian leadership. A representative of “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” said that negotiations are underway to evacuate more soldiers throughout Syria.