Security alert in Syria’s coastal region following calls for peaceful protests

Cities and towns in Syria’s coastal region are witnessing an unprecedented security alert on Tuesday, with security convoys and checkpoints set up in areas of Hama and its western countryside, including Salhab, Deir Shamil, Nahr al-Bard, and al-Saqliyah. This comes as the spiritual leader of the Alawite community and head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council, Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, urged citizens to take part in peaceful protests.

Sheikh Ghazal issued the call in response to ongoing violations against members of the Alawite community, including abductions, killings, and humiliation, demanding the release of detainees and an end to the ongoing violence and terrorism in Syria.

The call has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with several pages encouraging participation in the protests, while pro-Interim Government pages threatened to pursue anyone who takes to the streets, warning of potential arrests or clashes with demonstrators.

These calls come amid increasing demands from the Alawite community to address recent acts of violence in the coastal region and in neighborhoods of Homs, including recent attacks by the Bani Khalid Bedouins, aiming to draw both international and domestic attention to the humanitarian and security situation in the area.

A-H 

ANHA