Rebuilding Security in New Syria: Week 21

Tracking the spread of new security forces and security incidents in post-Assad Syria from April 28 to May 4

Announcements of security deployments mostly in western Syria, with an emphasis on the minority regions. Content is categorized as deployment, crime, statement, arrest, operation. 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 provided throughout.

• Aleppo

• Damascus

• Coast

• Homs

• Hama

Violence across the country escalated sharply this week. Serious anti-Alawite crimes occurred in western Hama and Latakia, while vigilante attacks against ex-regime forces (both Alawite and Sunni) continued in Hama, Homs, and Damascus. Meanwhile, major fighting broke out in the Druze-majority Damascus neighborhoods of Jaramana and Sahnaya, breaking the months-long stalemate between Damascus and Druze leaders. This week also saw continued arrests of regime officers and criminals across Aleppo, Damascus, and the coast, a trend which has continued to grow into mid-May.

I was in Syria’s coast meeting with Christian and Alawite communities when the Druze violence began in Damascus. It should be noted just how impactful the Druze narrative of the events were among these coastal communities. Namely, the idea that a mysterious audio clip could trigger longstanding communal grudges and result in armed Sunnis invading a minority neighborhood really struck a cord with Christians in Tartous, many of whom are suspicious of the new government’s long-term policies towards minority religions. The people I spoke with at the time did not believe that General Security forces had tried to prevent the entry of armed Sunnis into these neighborhoods, but rather believed this was part of the government’s intentional policy to drive out minorities from their homes. These narratives have taken deep roots in the coast since March 6, and are continually reinforced by mis- and dis-information online.