Syria Intensifying Crackdown on Alawite Protests in Latakia, Tartus

DID Press: Following raids by forces loyal to Ahmad Sharaa, the current head of Syria’s government, on Alawite protests in Latakia and Tartus, a new wave of arrests and intimidation has swept the country’s coastal regions.

Reports indicate that on Tuesday, security personnel in the Al-Anaza neighborhood of Tartus conducted nighttime raids on the homes of several young protest participants, detaining a significant number of them. Local sources say these actions aim to create a climate of fear and suppress social unrest.

In response to the protests, Ahmad Sharaa described demonstrators as “affiliated with the former regime,” claiming the movements aim to push Syria toward civil war—a rationale civil activists dismiss as a thinly veiled justification for suppressing dissent.

Analysts warn that increasing economic and social pressures in coastal areas could broaden public dissatisfaction, and the continued security crackdowns signal deep concern among the new authorities over the fragility of their position.