Syria's interim President Ahmad Al Shara called for militias linked to the ousted Assad regime to surrender immediately after two days of fierce fighting in the western coastal region in which more than 200 people were reported killed, including civilians.
The fighting in the Latakia and Tartous provinces poses the most serious threat to Syria's new administration after rebels toppled former president Bashar Al Assad in December, ending 50 years of rule by his family. It also jeopardises hopes of a return to stability and the rehabilitation of Syria after nearly 14 years of civil war.
"You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it," Mr Al Shara said in a speech broadcast on Telegram by the Syrian presidency.
"Lay down your weapons and surrender before it's too late,” he said.
He said those loyal to Mr Al Assad were testing the new Syria that “they did not know”.
“Today, they are getting to know it again, and they see it as one unified Syria from east to west and from north to south, and if one of its provinces is touched by a thorn, all the provinces will rally to support it and its glory,” he said.
Syria's coastal region is the heartland of the Alawite minority to which the Assad family belongs. At least 250 people including civilians have been killed in the fighting that erupted on Thursday following other deadly incidents in the area this week, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The war monitor said the new administration's security forces "executed" 162 Alawites on Friday.
The United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, decried "very troubling reports of civilian casualties" and called on all sides to refrain from actions which could "destabilise Syria, and jeopardise a credible and inclusive political transition".
Mr Al Shara's administration launched a military mobilisation in the area after Assad loyalists attacked its security forces in the area of Jableh in Latakia on Thursday, killing at least 16. A curfew was imposed in the province and neighbouring Tartous.
The interim president, who headed the rebel coalition that toppled Mr Al Assad, also vowed to keep working towards "monopolising weapons in the hands of the state".
"There will be no more unregulated weapons," he said.
"Today in Syria, there is no difference between the authority and the people. Syria means everyone, and it is everyone’s mission to preserve and support it," he said.
Syria's new government faces a huge security challenge as it seeks funds for rebuilding the country. The international community has urged the need for Syrian unity amid an outreach of support for the country's new rulers.
Several Arab states, including the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar and Kuwait issued statements in support of Mr Al Shara's government on Friday. The Emirates expressed solidarity with the Syrian people, and "its support for all endeavours aimed at fulfilling their aspirations for security, peace, and dignity".
The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation readmitted Syria on Friday after suspending its membership in 2012, a year after the civil war began following the violent suppression of peaceful anti-Assad protests.
"This decision represents an important step towards Syria's return to the regional and international communities as a free and just state," a Syrian Foreign Ministry statement said after an OIC meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Crime%20Wave
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Europe’s rearming plan
Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
The years Ramadan fell in May
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
Sweet%20Tooth
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.