Syria’s leader vows crackdown, warns of foreign meddling

Syria’s leader Ahmed Sharaa vowed on Sunday to pursue those responsible for violent clashes between loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad and the country’s new rulers. He warned that foreign powers were fueling unrest and pledged accountability for those exceeding their authority.

In a televised address, Sharaa accused Assad supporters and unnamed external actors of attempting to destabilize Syria. His remarks came as fighting in Assad’s coastal stronghold continued for a fourth day, leaving 1,000 people dead, mostly civilians, according to a war monitoring group.

Sharaa’s office announced the formation of an independent committee to investigate the clashes, including reports of killings by both sides. Graphic videos allegedly depicting executions have circulated online, though Reuters could not independently verify them.

A Syrian security official said hostilities had slowed around the cities of Latakia, Jabla, and Baniyas, but forces continued searching nearby mountainous areas where an estimated 5,000 pro-Assad insurgents are believed to be hiding.

Sharaa leads the Sunni Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which ousted Assad’s government in December 2024. Assad fled to Russia, leaving behind key allies and supporters, while Sharaa’s faction installed an interim government and took control of Syria’s military.

Assad’s overthrow ended decades of dynastic rule marked by severe repression and a civil war that erupted from a peaceful uprising in 2011. The conflict drew in multiple global and regional players, with Western nations, Arab states, and Türkiye backing the rebels, while Russia, Iran, and Tehran-backed militias supported Assad. The war has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions of Syrians.

Since Assad’s fall, Kurdish forces have maintained control over parts of northeastern Syria, while Israel has continued striking military sites. 

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