LATAKIA: At least three people were killed on Sunday after protests in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia descended into violence, local officials said, marking the latest episode of unrest in the country’s Alawite heartland.
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According to a statement issued by the Latakia province’s media office, thousands of demonstrators gathered at Azhari Square in Latakia city to demand a decentralised political system and the release of thousands of Alawite detainees. The protest was organised amid lingering sectarian tensions following the ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad last year and the installation of a Sunni-led government.
BREAKING: At least three people were killed and 60 injured in protests in the Syrian city of Latakia. pic.twitter.com/8kHCVJXgdf
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 28, 2025
Three people were killed when protests in Syria’s Alawite heartland of Latakia spiraled into gunfire and other violence, according to the province’s media office https://t.co/Ynay8wFsvj pic.twitter.com/VFG3I2bFWL
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 28, 2025
Left: Demonstrations against the Assad regime, April 2011
Right: Demonstrations against the killing of Alawites, yesterday
The Julani terror regime responded by deploying armored vehicles and firing on demonstrators, killing two Alawite civilians and wounding more than 60… pic.twitter.com/zbVZ5UZTye
— Rojava Network (@RojavaNetwork) December 29, 2025
About two hours into the rally, gunfire erupted from an unidentified location, according to a Reuters journalist present at the scene. Security forces responded by firing into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd, triggering panic as demonstrators fled and carried wounded people away.
The provincial media office said three people were killed and more than 40 others injured in the violence, though it did not specify whether all casualties occurred at Azhari Square or in other nearby areas where protests were also reported.
Syrian state news agency SANA said one member of the security forces was killed by gunfire allegedly fired by “armed remnants of the former regime”. It added that both civilians and security personnel were wounded by shots fired by unknown attackers near the protest site.
The demonstration was called by Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council. Protesters were heard chanting slogans such as “We want federalism!” and “The Syrian people are one!”, calling for political reforms and guarantees for minority rights.
A similar protest held in Latakia in November was short-lived after rival demonstrations in support of the new government emerged, prompting security forces to intervene with gunfire to disperse both gatherings.
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Sectarian violence has flared intermittently in parts of Syria since the political transition, underscoring the fragile security situation as authorities struggle to maintain stability and address grievances among minority communities.