DAMASCUS, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 60 others wounded in protest-related violence in the coastal city of Latakia on Sunday, state media reported, as the Syrian army moved to secure the Mediterranean region.
The casualties resulted from attacks by what state media described as "remnants of the former regime," who allegedly targeted security forces and civilians with gunfire, knives, and stones, according to the state-run SANA news agency. Health authorities in Latakia said medical teams provided emergency care despite disruptions caused by attacks on two ambulances, which were put out of service.
The violence marked a sharp escalation in a region considered the heartland of Syria's Alawite community, to which much of the former administration belonged. The unrest followed protests in the coastal hubs of Latakia and Tartus, as well as in the central cities of Homs and Hama, triggered by a deadly mosque bombing in Homs on Friday.
That attack killed at least 8 Alawite worshippers and left the coastal region on edge.
Syria's defense authorities said army units, supported by armored vehicles, entered the centers of Latakia and Tartus on Sunday to "restore security and stability" after a surge in attacks by "outlawed groups."
Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that security forces killed two Alawite protesters earlier in the day in Latakia while dispersing crowds. The monitor said demonstrators had been calling for political rights and protection.
Members of the Alawite minority have faced successive waves of violence since a lightning military offensive ousted President Bashar al-Assad last December. The militant-turned authorities in Damascus have rejected allegations of using excessive force against the Alawites. ■
