The interim government of Syria announced on Saturday (9) the end of the military offensive in the coastal regions of the country, after weeks of. The operation, conducted in the provinces of Latakia and Tartous, targeted by the loyal forces to the Bashar al-Assad regime, deposed in December last year after decades in power and a civil war that lasted almost 14 years.
Violence in the region generated strong international repercussion. UN special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, said he was “deeply alarmed” with the reports of civilians and asked all parties to avoid actions that could further destabilize the country. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, classified episodes as “extremely disturbing” and charged “fast, transparent and impartial investigations into possible violations committed during the offensive.
Iran, former ally of the Assad regime, also expressed concern. Mojtaba Amani, Iranian ambassador in Lebanon, said the attacks on Alauitian communities in Latakia and Tartous were “systematic” and “extremely dangerous.” He also criticized the inability of the Syrian interim government to contain the crisis. “It was expected that after the fall of Assad, Syria went through a difficult transition, but the scale of violence now ongoing is unprecedented and deeply worrying,” said Amani.
The collapse of the Assad regime left a vacuum of power in Syria, deepening instability and raising tensions between ethnic groups and political factions. With the suspension of military operation, international pressure grows for the interim government to advance negotiations that guarantee a more stable political transition.
(With information from BBC)
