West erupts with regime loyalists. East flares with ISIL attacks. Is Syria’s fragile transition already under strain?
Syria’s transitional government is confronting simultaneous security threats in the west and east, as clashes with Assad loyalists in Latakia coincide with a renewed wave of ISIL attacks in Deir Az Zor.
In the coastal countryside near Jableh, fighting erupted Tuesday between Internal Security Forces and Saraya al-Jawad, a militia reportedly loyal to former regime commander Suheil al-Hassan, once head of the feared Tiger Forces. At least four people were killed, including a member of the security forces. Authorities said a senior militia commander was among those “neutralised.”
The emergence of Saraya al-Jawad signals a shift from scattered loyalist resistance to what officials describe as a more organized insurgency in the Alawite heartland — long the base of the al-Assad family’s rule. The Interior Ministry accuses the group of orchestrating assassinations, bombings and attempts to destabilize public life.
At the same time, ISIL claimed responsibility for deadly attacks in Deir Az Zor province. A soldier was killed near Al-Mayadin, while two separate assaults on a checkpoint in Al-Sabahiyah left four security personnel dead. The resurgence has reignited fears that extremist cells are exploiting the country’s fragile transition.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab accused “remnants of the previous regime and ISIL” of attempting to undermine stability. Analysts are divided over the cause. Some suggest external actors may be activating dormant networks to weaken the new government. Others argue the violence reflects a widening security vacuum following the withdrawal of foreign forces and the reshuffling of power structures.
The vast Syrian desert — nearly 40 percent of the country’s territory — remains particularly vulnerable. Experts warn it could again become a training ground for militants unless rapid coordination with local tribes and security forces is established.
After more than a decade of war and the regime’s collapse in late 2024, Syria’s new leadership faces a stark test: can it secure a fractured nation before competing armed factions regain ground?
