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Syria’s leader called for unity
Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Shara, appealed yesterday for calm and unity after violence erupted last week between fighters affiliated with his government and those loyal to the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad.
More than 1,000 people have been killed, including about 700 civilians, mostly by government forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The information could not be independently verified.
“We call on Syrians to be reassured because the country has the fundamentals for survival,” al-Shara said. His remarks came as new fighting was reported in the Latakia and Tartus Provinces. Later in the day, he said a fact-finding committee had been formed to investigate the violence and bring those responsible to justice. It was unclear whether al-Shara was acknowledging possible killings at the hands of his forces or laying the blame entirely on al-Assad loyalists.
Context: The fighting broke out on Thursday when armed men loyal to al-Assad ambushed government security forces in Latakia Province, setting off days of clashes. The violence has been the worst since the Assad government was ousted in early December.
Reaction: Thousands protested in the streets in the first wide-scale demonstrations against the new government. Residents were ordered to stay indoors as security forces scrambled to contain the turmoil. Here’s what else we know.
Elsewhere in the region: Israel’s energy minister said that he was immediately cutting off electricity to the Gaza Strip.
