American Marconi Wireless News - Syria announces end to 'military operation' after mass killings

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported the mass killings of at least 973 civilians since Thursday, the overwhelming majority of them members of the Alawite minority executed by security forces or allied groups.

The fighting in the coastal heartland of the Alawite minority to which the ousted president belongs has threatened to throw into chaos the country's fragile transition after decades of the Assad clan's iron-fisted rule.

The authorities on Monday ended their sweeping "military operation" against security threats and "regime remnants" in Latakia and Tartus provinces on the Mediterranean coast, defence ministry spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani said in a statement on official news agency SANA.

The announcement came after interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose Islamist group led the offensive that toppled Assad on December 8, said the country would not be dragged into civil war again.

"Syria... will not allow any foreign powers or domestic parties to drag it into chaos or civil war," Sharaa said in a speech posted by SANA.

He also vowed to "hold accountable, firmly and without leniency, anyone who was involved in the bloodshed of civilians... or who overstepped the powers of the state".

In Jableh in Latakia province, an resident spoke to AFP in tears, requesting anonymity for safety concerns and saying they were being terrorised by armed groups who had taken control of the town.

"More than 50 people from among my family and friends have been killed. They gathered bodies with bulldozers and buried them in mass graves."

- 'Anxiety and fear' -

In some areas, residents began tentatively venturing out but many were still afraid to leave home after dark and complained of a lack of basic supplies.

"Today the situation in Latakia is a little calmer, people are out and about after five days of anxiety and extreme fear," said Farah, a 22-year-old university student who gave only her first name.

But with the situation still "very tense", she said that "after six o'clock, you do not see anyone in the street... the neighbourhood turns into a ghost town."

Clashes broke out on Thursday after gunmen loyal to the deposed president attacked Syria's new security forces.

The ensuing violence killed 231 security personnel and 250 pro-Assad fighters killed, according to the Britain-based Observatory which relies on a network of sources inside Syria.

The authorities did not provide any casualty figures.

In addition to the mass killings of Alawites, there have been reports of Christians being caught up in the wave of attacks.

During a sermon in Damascus on Sunday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch John X said that "many innocent Christians were also killed" alongside Alawites.

Obituaries were shared on social media for several members of the small Christian community living on the coast.

Sharaa's group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has its roots in the Syrian branch of jihadist network Al-Qaeda, has vowed to protect Syria's religious and ethnic minorities since toppling Assad.

HTS is still listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and other governments.

- 'Not in control' -

Analysts have said the latest violence calls into question the new authorities' ability to rule and rebuild a country devastated by 13 years of civil war.

The violence "will hinder Ahmed al-Sharaa's efforts to consolidate his rule and to convince the international community that he is in control", Landis added.

Iran, a key backer of Assad, on Monday rejected accusations that Tehran may have been involved in the latest violence.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the claims in media reports, including from the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel, as "completely ridiculous".

United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said Sunday the killings "must cease immediately", while the Arab League, the United Nations, the United States and other governments have condemned the violence.

The presidency also announced that an "independent committee" had been formed to "investigate the violations against civilians and identify those responsible for them", who would face the courts.

A.Malone--AMWN