Syria’s Interior Ministry announced what it described as a “qualitative” security operation targeting a group from the so called “Saraya al-Jawad” cell in the countryside of Jableh (south of Latakia city on Syria’s Mediterranean coast). The ministry said the cell was linked to Suhail al-Hassan, a former officer in the Syrian army under the previous Assad regime.
Latakia’s Internal Security commander, Abdulaziz Hilal al-Ahmad, said in a statement carried by the Interior Ministry’s Facebook page on 24 December that the cell was “involved in carrying out assassinations and field executions, planting improvised explosive devices, and targeting Internal Security and Syrian army positions.”
The ministry said the cell had been preparing to attack New Year celebrations, posing “a threat to civilians’ safety and security.”
It added that the Internal Security command’s special tasks unit in Latakia carried out the operation in cooperation with the Counterterrorism branch and a unit from the Syrian army.
The ministry said forces cordoned off the area and the house where the “criminals” were holed up, but the cell members refused to surrender, leading to clashes that lasted around an hour. The operation resulted in the arrest of one cell member and the “neutralization” of three others, while four security personnel sustained minor injuries.
The Interior Ministry said it seized explosive devices, various weapons, ammunition, and military vests. It added that the confiscated items were taken, and the detainee was referred to the Counterterrorism Directorate to complete investigations, ahead of being brought before the competent judiciary to take the necessary legal measures.
The ministry said efforts were still ongoing to fully dismantle the cell.
“Saraya al-Jawad”
The group “Rijal al-Nour, Saraya al-Jawad” announced it had begun operations against government forces on Syria’s coast, saying they were “revenge for the souls of the martyrs.”
The group began publishing short video clips on a Facebook page it created on 2 August.
Content posted on the page supports symbols of the former Assad regime, including a post marking “Syrian Army Day” on 2 August.
On 3 September, the group published a video it said showed an operation targeting a vehicle belonging to the General Security forces on 19 August.
An explosion is seen in the footage, and the speaker says the “operation is revenge for the souls of the martyrs,” as he put it.
Local news pages on Syria’s coast said on 14 August that an explosion was heard in Jableh near an iron factory.
Syria’s Defense Ministry Media and Communications Directorate said in a statement carried by the official SANA news agency that a Syrian army vehicle came under attack on 14 August by groups it described as “remnants of the fallen regime” in the Latakia countryside, with no human losses reported.
In research conducted by Enab Baladi, and by comparing landmarks in the video with Google Earth images, it was determined that the explosion near the iron factory on 14 August is the same incident the group later claimed.
Previous operations
On 30 August, the Interior and Defense ministries launched a security campaign in Tartus province (western Syria) following the killing of two Internal Security personnel in the city.
Tartus Internal Security commander Colonel Abdul Aal Mohammed Abdul Aal said that the “special tasks” units and members of the Defense Ministry’s 56th Division carried out what he described as a “high-quality” security campaign in the province’s countryside, targeting several points belonging to groups the government calls “outlaws.”
He said security forces raided a farm the group used as a base for its operations, as well as a medical point used to treat its members. He added that an armed clash took place with the cell members and continued for some time.
According to Abdul Aal’s statement, published by the ministry, the operation resulted in the “neutralization” (a term used to include killing and wounding) of a number of cell members and the arrest of the rest, in addition to the seizure of weapons and ammunition they had used in attacks against the army and Internal Security forces.
The Syrian Interior Ministry had also announced on 27 July the arrest of a number of former personnel and officers from the previous regime, accused of involvement in the “coast events” in March, as part of a series of security operations.
Latakia Internal Security commander Major General Abdulaziz Hilal al-Ahmad said in a statement that specialized security units were able, in under 24 hours, to seize and dismantle a cell led by Maher Hussein Ali, accused of carrying out previous attacks targeting Internal Security sites.
Al-Ahmad said Maher Ali had been preparing new attacks against military and security sites in Latakia province.
The statement said investigations showed direct coordination between this cell and Maher al-Assad and al-Waddah Suhail Ismail, commander of the so called “Fawj al-Makzoun” (al-Makzoun Regiment), in addition to receiving direct logistical support from Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other sectarian militias.
Al-Ahmad said this coordination was part of an organized sabotage plan aimed at destabilizing the area and threatening security along Syria’s coast.
The security operations also led to the arrest of former Republican Guard Colonel Malik Ali Abu Saleh, described as the head of the so called “Coast Operations Room,” which had overseen planning and coordination to target Syrian army and security sites during the 6 March events.
According to al-Ahmad, investigations confirmed Abu Saleh’s direct involvement in coordinating with suspicious external actors and receiving suspicious logistical support to carry out sabotage plans that threaten the region’s security and stability.
Al-Ahmad said specialized agencies were also able, in another security operation, to arrest al-Waddah Suhail Ismail, accused of carrying out a series of what he described as “terrorist operations” in the Jableh area.
He said Ismail had received direct instructions from Suhail al-Hassan and Ghiyath Dalla as part of a systematic plan aimed at undermining security and stability on Syria’s coast.
Syria’s coastal region saw bloody confrontations in March after movements by groups loyal to the former Assad regime. The clashes left more than 1,400 people dead, most of them civilians, along with members of the General Security forces. The events included field executions of entire families, as well as incidents of torture and abductions.
Latakia: Syria’s Interior Ministry targets “Saraya al-Jawad” group Enab Baladi.
Hence then, the article about latakia syria s interior ministry targets saraya al jawad group was published today ( ) and is available on ُEnabbaladi ( Syria ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Latakia: Syria’s Interior Ministry targets “Saraya al-Jawad” group )
Also on site :