Syria Declares Emergency Lockdown in Latakia
The Latakia Governorate confirmed the mandatory curfew began at 5 p.m. local time Tuesday (1400 GMT) and extends through 6 a.m. Wednesday (0300 GMT), imposed by the Internal Security Command after violence erupted during weekend demonstrations.
Emergency responders, medical staff, ambulance personnel, and firefighting units remain exempt from the restrictions. Officials warned residents that failure to comply will result in legal consequences while urging full cooperation with deployed security forces.
Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba issued a stern warning that authorities would take decisive action against lawbreakers. "Individual mistakes cannot be generalized or used to justify further violations," he stated, according to a Syrian news agency.
Al-Baba emphasized the ministry's zero-tolerance stance, declaring it would not accept unlawful conduct under any circumstances while pledging protection for all Syrian citizens through legal channels and governmental authority.
He urged Latakia residents to maintain lawful conduct and reject behaviors threatening public safety or national cohesion, specifically condemning incitement, reckless individual actions, and following those attempting to generate disorder and destabilization.
Baba condemned property damage and citizen-targeted violence as explicit legal violations warranting judicial response. The Syrian state categorically rejects vandalism and assaults against residents or their belongings, he added.
The crackdown follows Sunday's armed assaults on security personnel who were safeguarding demonstrations across multiple coastal and central Syrian locations. An Alawite religious body had organized the protests, which featured federalism-related demands.
The violence resulted in four fatalities and 108 casualties—including both security forces and civilians—within Latakia, according to official reports.
Syria's transitional administration reports ongoing efforts to reestablish order while tracking down former regime elements allegedly fueling unrest, particularly throughout coastal territories historically aligned with Bashar al-Assad's senior government figures.
Assad, who governed Syria for approximately 25 years, escaped to Russia in late 2024, collapsing the Baath Party administration that controlled the nation since 1963. President Ahmad Al-Sharaa now leads a transitional government established in January.
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