The new leaders of the country undertook to put all the armed groups under the control of the State, but the security situation remains unstable, with Some Syrians are looking for revenge.
Who are the Loyalists Assad who take up arms?
There does not yet seem to be a single unifying force responsible for the orchestration of attacks against the west coast of Syria, and so far, violence is largely attributed to the small cells of the Loyalists of Assad, According to the Institute for the Study of WarA research group based in Washington.
Attacks on security forces Thursday, however, was the “first time that the Loyalist Pro-Assad activity demonstrated clear coordination and previous planning”, ” according to In Charles Lister, director of programs in Syria and the fight against terrorism at the Middle East Institute.
On Thursday, when the security forces were attacked, a group called the “Military Council for the Liberation of Syria” published a promising declaration to overthrow the new management of the country. The press release announced the creation of the group and was signed by a former general of the fourth elite division of the Assad regime, led by Mr. Al-Assad’s brother, Maher al-Assad.
It is not clear if the former general, Gaith Dalah, himself established this military council, or if the group claims it as their leader, according to the Institute for the Study of War. But his training comes back from similar announcements by a net of other pro-Assad armed groups that have emerged since the fall of the government.
In recent days, some of these groups have published videos showing armed men calling for the reversal of the new leadership of Syria, and have claimed the responsibility of the attacks on the security forces against their social networks. The New York Times has not independently checked the videos.
Anas Khattab, the new head of the intelligence services of Syria, said on Friday in a statement that former military leaders of the Assad regime were at the origin of violence, with the support of “fugitives” not specified outside the country.
How did the new government of Syria and its allies respond?
The government has paid security forces in the coastal region to restore order, with long lines of armored vehicles moving in coastal cities. These forces sought to restore control over a few towns and villages that armed armed men had actually seized between Thursday and Friday.
“The choice is clear: exempt your weapons or face your inevitable fate,” said Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, a spokesperson for the Syrian Defense Ministry in a statement last week, adding that thousands of activists had returned their weapons, but that some continued to fight.
