Syria faces twin battles as Assad loyalists and ISIL attack in west, east
#Syria#Assad#ILSIL#Security Forces#Latakia#Deir Az Zor#Transitional Government#Militia
📌 Key Takeaways
Syrian security forces clash with Assad-linked militia in Latakia, killing at least four people including a militia commander
ILSIL claims responsibility for attacks in Deir Az Zor province that killed multiple security personnel
Analysts suggest simultaneous attacks may indicate external manipulation, possibly by Iran
The transitional government faces security challenges in the vast Syrian Badia desert region
📖 Full Retelling
Syrian internal security forces clashed with the 'Saraya al-Jawad' militia linked to the ousted Assad government in Latakia province on February 24, 2026, while ISIL attacked security positions in Deir Az Zor province, as the transitional government struggles to stabilize the country after years of civil war and dismantle 'deep state' armed cells. The fighting erupted west of the village of Hamam al-Qarahleh in Jableh, where security forces responded to attacks on their positions by the shadowy group, resulting in at least four deaths including a top militia commander. The violence coincided with ISIL's claimed responsibility for attacks in eastern Syria that killed multiple security personnel, creating a two-front challenge for the new authorities. The Interior Ministry accused both 'remnants of the previous regime and ISIL' of attempting to undermine the country's security and destabilize its fragile transition. Saraya al-Jawad, formed in August 2025 and reportedly loyal to former Tiger Forces commander Suheil al-Hassan, represents a shift from disorganized resistance to organized rebellion in the Assad family's traditional coastal stronghold. Analysts suggest the simultaneous attacks may indicate external manipulation, with Brigadier General Munir al-Hariri pointing to potential Iranian mobilization of dormant cells to portray the new state as weak. Meanwhile, researcher Bassam al-Suleiman attributes the violence to the security vacuum created by the power transition and withdrawal of international forces, warning that the Syrian Badia desert could become a haven for militants without swift government intervention.
🏷️ Themes
Security, Political Transition, Regional Influence
Asad (Arabic: أسد), sometimes written as Assad, is an Arabic male given name literally meaning "lion". It is used in nicknames such as Asad Allāh, one of the by-names for Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north and northwest, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest. It...
Statutory organization with internal security mandates
Security forces are statutory organizations with internal security mandates. In the legal context of several countries, the term has variously denoted police and military units working in concert, or the role of irregular military and paramilitary forces (such as gendarmerie) tasked with public secu...
Latakia (; Arabic: اللَّاذِقِيَّة, romanized: al-Lādhiqiyya; Syrian pronunciation: [el.laːdˈʔɪjje]), officially Lattakia, is the principal port city of Syria and capital city of the Latakia Governorate located on the Mediterranean coast. Historically, it has also been known as Laodicea in Syria or ...
No entity connections available yet for this article.
Original Source
News | Syria's War Syria faces twin battles as Assad loyalists and ISIL attack in west, east A shadowy armed group linked to regime remnants launches a deadly attack on security positions in Latakia, while ISIL kills soldiers in the east. Listen to this article | 4 mins By Mohammad Mansour Published On 25 Feb 2026 25 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media Share Save Clashes between Syrian internal security forces and a militia linked to the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad have left at least four people dead in the Alawite-majority coastal province of Latakia, marking a significant escalation in the new government’s fight to stabilise a nation emerging from years of ruinous civil war. The fighting erupted on Tuesday west of the village of Hamam al-Qarahleh in the countryside of Jableh. Security forces were responding to reports that members of “Saraya al-Jawad” (al-Jawad Brigades), a shadowy armed group linked to regime remnants, had launched an attack on security positions. According to the official Al-Ikhbariya TV channel, the confrontation killed at least one member of the Internal Security Forces. Security units managed to “neutralise” a top commander of the militia along with two of his associates, bringing the death toll to at least four. The ‘Tiger’s’ shadow The emergence of Saraya al-Jawad represents a shift from disorganised loyalist resistance to an organised rebellion in the coastal heartland, traditionally the stronghold of the al-Assad family. Formed in August 2025, the militia is reportedly loyal to Suheil al-Hassan , the brigadier-general who commanded the notorious Quwwat al-Nimr (Tiger Forces), an elite unit in the former regime’s army. The Ministry of Interior accuses the group of carrying out a campaign of destabilisation, including “assassinations, bombings, and targeting public celebrations”. The crackdown in Latakia comes as the transitional government, which took power after the regime’s collapse in December 2024, attempts to dismant...
