Hundreds of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham fighters poured into the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast of Syria on Sunday in an attempt to bring the area under its control, two members of the group said, amid a resurgence of ethnic violence in the country.
The sweep occurred as reports emerged of the execution of at least 13 Alawites in the central governorate of Homs on Friday, another area of HTS operations. On the same day, ten armed HTS personnel were killed in an ambush by Alawite gunmen near the coastal city of Jabla, sources in the group said.
The campaign is aimed at "depriving remnants of the regime of attack-and-run capabilities", one HTS military member told The National from Latakia.
Former regime loyalists "do not want to realise that they are no longer in control of the state" and that "they will be crushed," he added.
Another HTS figure said the reinforcements are mainly hardened HTS fighters from the governorate of Idlib, plus new recruits who joined HTS since the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad on December 8.
Sweep and search operations are under way and focusing on the foothills of the Alawite Mountains in Latakia, Jableh and farms in the adjacent governorate of Tartus, he said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 13 people were killed on Friday in an Alawite rural constellation known as Fahel, an HTS area of operations west of the city of Homs.
The Observatory said "unknown gunmen wearing military uniform" overran Fahel on Friday and shot dead at least 13 men, including officers. At least another 50 were captured.
Alawites in the area published death notices for 15 people killed in Fahel. Footage on social media claimed to show a funeral for two of them. The National could not independently verify the video.
Jamal Suleiman, an Alawite actor who was among a small number of Alawites who supported the 2011 uprising, said that Syria risks sliding into a "bloodbath".
"Violence leads to violence. Do not besiege people and force them to take up arms. Taking justice into one's own hands will lead to a bloodbath," Mr Suleiman said in a video published on social media.
Originally an offshoot of the extremist Al Nusra Front and Al Qaeda, the HTS has attempted to project an image of moderation since taking charge in Damascus. Syria has sizeable Kurdish and Alawite minorities, as well as established Druze, Christian, and Ismaili communities. The Alawites comprised around 10 per cent of Syria's population before the 2011 revolt against the former regime.
The former government was accused of killing thousands of mainly Sunni civilians in a crackdown on the peaceful protest movement that demanded its removal in March 2011. By the end of that year, Syria was in civil war, setting the scene for the rise of HTS and other religious armed groups.
Back in 2012, at least 100 men, women and children were killed in the Sunni village of Houla in 2012. It was one of the bloodiest massacres of the civil war.
HTS stopped publicly announcing its military operations early this month. Its leader Ahmad Al Shara, has had regular meetings in the past several weeks focused on recovery and political transition.
Alawite officers took power in a 1963 coup and members of the sect continued dominating the country until last month.
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
THE%20SWIMMERS
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The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)