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by IANS |
Damascus, Jan 15 (IANS) Syrian authorities released seven members of its security forces taken hostage by an armed group in northwestern Latakia province, according to officials and war monitors.
Mustafa Knaifati, head of general security in Latakia, told the state-run SANA news agency that his forces, in cooperation with the Military Operations Administration, "successfully freed our personnel."
"We will not tolerate these criminals. We will secure our civilian population and cleanse Syria of them," he added, noting that the person who led the abduction had detonated himself while other members of the militia were taken into custody, Xinhua news agency reported.
The militants in the town of Ain al-Sharqiyah reportedly captured the seven security personnel late Monday. In a video, the kidnappers threatened to kill the hostages unless authorities halted plans to enter Ain al-Sharqiyah.
The reported standoff occurred amid broader campaigns in Homs, Damascus, and Latakia provinces by the transitional authorities seeking to consolidate control following the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Earlier in December, Syria's new interim authorities detained around 300 people since the start of a crackdown on "remnants of Assad's militias", the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The state-run news agency SANA confirmed that the interim authorities apprehended "several remnants of Assad's militias and suspects" in the coastal province of Latakia on Saturday, and in Hama on Thursday. SANA also reported the confiscation of "quantities of weapons and ammunition."
The Observatory said, those arrested include "security informants, pro-regime and pro-Iranian armed elements, as well as lower-ranking military officers."
Security forces under the new administration launched an extensive operation targeting individuals linked to the previous authorities around Damascus, Latakia, Tartus, and Homs.
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