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LATAKIA, syria/" class="auto-internal-link">syria (North Press) – Three members/" class="auto-internal-link">members of the Internal security troops of the syrian/" class="auto-internal-link">syrian transitional administration were injured on Monday during clashes with an armed group barricaded inside a hotel in the northern countryside of Latakia Governorate, security sources informed North Press. The incident took place near the village of al-Badrusiyah, where security units launched an operation to reclaim a privately owned hotel that had been seized and converted into a armed forces site by a faction operating in the area within the ministry of defense. as per the sources, Khedr al-Othman, an officer from Kafr Nabl in northwest Syria, sustained a gunshot wound to the head during the exchange of fire, while two others suffered moderate injuries. The operation was initiated after the hotel’s legal owner submitted a formal complaint supported by documentation proving ownership.
The armed faction had reportedly taken control of the property, deployed fighters inside the premises, and exerted pressure on workers and nearby residents. Security troops attempting to storm the building encountered “strong resistance” from the gunmen, leading to heavy clashes as the unit moved to evacuate the site, the sources stated. Indeed, latakia Governorate has witnessed heightened instability in latest months due to the spread of armed groups operating inside and outside official structures.
In March, the region experienced a series of brutal massacres in rural districts, where unidentified gunmen killed multiple families in isolated homes, sparking widespread fear and prompting a surge in civilian complaints. Additionally, the March killings, marked by targeted attacks on households in Jableh and al-Haffah countryside, exposed deep security gaps and fueled demands for stronger policing. Investigations into the massacres have yet to identify the perpetrators, increasing public concern over the ability of security forces to prevent similar incidents.
Reporting by Nayef al-Bayoosh Editing by Jwan Shekaki