An overnight curfew was imposed by Syria’s ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group following the killing of 14 interior ministry personnel in an ambush allegedly carried out by supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
Syria’s new Interior Minister, Mohammed Abdel Rahman, on Thursday (December 26) confirmed the deaths, attributing them to what he called the “remnants of the Assad regime.” Clashes erupted in several cities, including the coastal city of Tartus, Homs, and the capital, Damascus. Rahman vowed to crack down on “anyone who dares to undermine Syria’s security or endanger the lives of its citizens.”
This marks the most intense and widespread unrest in Syria since Assad’s removal earlier this month.
Arrest Of Mohammed Kanjo Hassan
Unrest erupted as Islamist forces attempted to arrest an officer from the Assad regime, identified by the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as Mohammed Kanjo Hassan. Hassan is accused of being responsible for the crimes at Saydnaya prison, where he allegedly issued death sentences and arbitrary judgments against thousands of prisoners.
The Observatory reported that Hassan’s brother, along with armed men, intercepted security forces, setting up an ambush near a village and targeting one of the patrol vehicles.
Protests Over Alawite Shrine Vandalism
The attack occurred amid protests in several cities following the circulation of a video showing the vandalism of an Alawite shrine in Aleppo on Wednesday. The interior ministry stated on its official Telegram account that the video, which depicted armed men walking inside the shrine and posing near human bodies, was from the rebel offensive on Aleppo in late November.
“We confirm that the circulating video is an old video dating back to the period of the liberation of the city of Aleppo, made by unknown groups, and that our agencies are working day and night to preserve property and religious sites,” the interior ministry said.
“The goal of re-publishing such clips is to stir up strife among the Syrian people at this sensitive stage.”
