Iran Protests in Syria - deaths during arrest of ex-officer
Just over two weeks after the fall of Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, Assad supporters have shot dead more than a dozen security forces, according to the interim government.
26.12.2024, 05:34
SDA
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the security forces were ambushed in the western port city of Tartus when they tried to arrest an ex-officer for his alleged role in the notorious Saidnaya military prison. According to reports, 14 officers were shot dead and others injured. Three of the young perpetrators were also killed.
In addition, according to the Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera, a video showing the desecration of an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo sparked angry protests in several cities across the country. The family of ousted ruler Assad also belongs to the Alawite religious minority. According to the interim government's interior ministry, the shrine of a Muslim sheikh was vandalized "by unknown groups" in November, when the rebel offensive on the city of Aleppo began.
Renewed protests
On December 8, Assad was overthrown by a rebel alliance led by the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). According to the interim government, the "old video" is now being deliberately disseminated on the internet in order to "stir up discord", the Arabic broadcaster reported. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory, a night-time curfew was imposed in the city of Homs due to the protests. "This is an attack on all members of the Alawites in Syria," a resident told the German Press Agency.
It was only on Monday evening that unknown persons set fire to a Christmas tree in Al-Sukailabija in the province of Hama. One person was arrested. Hundreds of Christians and Muslims then took to the streets in Damascus and other cities to demonstrate against the act. In a statement, the interim government's Interior Ministry warned against rumours "aimed at destabilizing the country and disrupting civil peace". Remaining Assad supporters would take advantage of this. Christians, Alawites and other minorities fear repression following the overthrow.
Syria's foreign minister warns Iran: do not spread chaos
Meanwhile, the foreign minister of the transitional government, Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani, warned Iran against "spreading chaos in Syria". Tehran must "respect the will of the Syrian people and the sovereignty and security of the country", he wrote on Platform X. Iran's head of state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had said that he expected a renewed resistance struggle by Syrians against the new structures in the country following the change of power in Syria. Syrian youth in particular will once again resist those who have repeatedly made their country and their future unsafe.
The fall of Syria's long-time ruler Assad was a major blow for Iran, which saw its entire Middle East policy weakened as a result. Assad was seen as a strategically important ally in Iran's self-proclaimed "axis of resistance" against its arch-enemy Israel. Syria also served as a corridor for Iranian arms supplies to the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. The country therefore supported Assad generously, both financially and militarily, and branded the HTS alliance as terrorist.
Iran: balance of power in Syria could change again
"It is still too early to judge the future of Syria, as many factors can still significantly influence the political situation there," said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, without going into detail. This applies to all sides and therefore even those "who currently feel they are certain winners" should not rejoice too soon, he was quoted as saying by the Iranian news agency Isna. Although Tehran claims to maintain diplomatic contacts with the new rulers in Syria, permission to reopen the embassy in Damascus is still pending. In addition, the HTS has banned Iranian airlines from flying to the Syrian capital.
