An armed group linked to remnants of the former regime has captured members of the Public Security Department (PSD) during an ongoing security operation in Lattakia.
A video, filmed by Bassam Issa Husam al-Din, the commander of the “Oussoud al-Jabal” (Mountain’s Lions) militia, was published today, Tuesday, January 14. The footage shows seven captives—six dressed in PSD uniforms and one in military attire, likely a member of the Military Operations Department (MOC).
Bassam Husam al-Din threatened to execute the captives if the security campaign against his group did not cease and if forces from the PSD and MOC were not withdrawn from the Syrian coast.
Regime remnants
The militia commander also incited members of the Alawite community to rise against the MOC forces, calling for “autonomy” for the coastal region. This demand has recently been echoed by figures reportedly identified as Alawite sheikhs or community leaders.
Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kanifati, director of the Public Security Department in Lattakia, told the Syrian News Agency (SANA) that while a PSD patrol was conducting routine operations in rural Qardaha, it came under attack from remnants of the former regime. The ambush resulted in two deaths, several injuries, and the capture of seven PSD members. He noted that the attackers had threatened to execute the captives in video footage circulated online.
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Kanifati added that on Monday, groups of regime remnants targeted vehicles and a barracks belonging to the MOC in and around the village of Ain Sharqiya near Jableh, causing injuries.
According to Kanifati, the remnants of the former regime are hiding among civilian homes in and around Jableh and are using the surrounding mountains and valleys as staging grounds for attacks against PSD and MOC forces. He vowed decisive action, stating, “We will not relent in our pursuit of these criminals. We will work to recover our captives, protect our civilian population from their crimes, and cleanse Syria of their presence.”
The PSD, in coordination with the MOC, launched a new security campaign today targeting remnants of the former regime in the city of Lattakia.
This latest campaign follows a series of incidents and attacks on military installations and civilians in the region. Since the regime’s fall on December 8, 2024, the PSD, with MOC support, has carried out several security operations to root out remaining loyalists. These operations have focused on key areas, including rural Damascus and Homs, with the largest efforts concentrated on the coastal regions, historically home to many former regime officers.
Public Security patrols have frequently been targeted during these missions. One of the most significant attacks occurred on December 26, 2024, when 14 Ministry of Interior personnel were killed and 10 others injured in an ambush by regime remnants in rural Tartous.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
