Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Week 27

Tracking the spread of new security forces and security incidents in post-Assad Syria from June 9 to June 15

Announcements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. This weekly update is intended to provide base level data for more holistic research into the rebuilding of the security and governance structures of post-Assad Syria. Direct links to primary sources are provided throughout.

• Aleppo

• Damascus

• Coast

• Homs

• Hama

Violence has surged again across Syria, largely centered around vigilante-style executions of men accused of being tied to the former regime. This new round of violence was triggered by a June 10 press conference by Hassan Soufan, a senior figure from Ahrar al-Sham who now sits on the post-March 6 Civil Peace Committee. Soufan discussed the government’s approach to justice and security, admitting that it was not feasible or reasonable to arrest “all men who held arms” and that their more amnesty-centered approach had directly contributed to the sharp reduction in insurgent attacks since March. However, the press conference was also the first explicit, official acknowledgement of Fadi Saqr’s role in the committee as a key intermediary with ex-regime insurgents and loyalists. This triggered a huge backlash among Sunnis, who fear that if Fadi Saqr won’t be held accountable, no regime criminal will be. Social media was flooded with calls for individuals to take justice into their own hands, and a surge in vigilante-style killings has followed. While some of these executions have targeted men clearly affiliated with ex-regime forces, others have targeted men who are claimed to be civilians by their communities.

Meanwhile security forces continue to conduct arrests and uncover weapon caches and cross-border weapon shipments. There was one incident in Latakia this month in which two women from Idlib were killed in their Idlib-plate car, sparking claims of a new insurgent attack. However, two days later, the head of Latakia Internal Security released a statement that the women had been in a car seen shooting at locals, and during the pursuit security forces had shot at the vehicle. The event underscores both the continued absence of insurgent attacks in Syria’s coast, as well as the fact that security forces are actively trying to prevent these vigilante-style attacks but seemingly unable to. In Jableh’s countryside, another drive-by shooting occurred, and while the culprits were quickly arrested, local activists pointed to the recent removal of checkpoints from the area as a facilitating factor.