Egypt rejects any moves undermining Syria’s security, safety after killing 333 civilians in Latakia clashes

CAIRO – 8 March 2025: Egypt expressed its concern over the clashes that took place in Latakia Governorate in Syria, which resulted in hundreds of casualties and injuries.

In an official statement, Egypt affirmed its supportive stance towards the Syrian state, its national institutions and its stability in the face of security challenges.

Egypt voiced its rejection of any moves that would affect the security, safety and stability of the Syrian people, the statement added.

Egypt reaffirmed the importance of combating all forms of violence, the necessity of putting the Syrian national security into all considerations, and working to overcome this critical transitional phase in Syria.

Egypt reiterated the importance of launching a comprehensive transitional political process that ensures the participation of all segments of the Syrian people without exclusion and guarantees the rights of all sects in sisterly Syria.

Clashes have taken place between the current Syrian government’s forces and pro-Assad forces in the coastal city of Latakia since Thursday, March 6, 2025. Since then, 333 civilians were killed in the clashes based on a sectarian and regional basis in Syrian coastal areas and Latakia mountains, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday. On Friday, curfew was declared in three areas of Latakia, Homs and Tartus.

In his speech regarding the clashes in Latakia, Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa vowed to pursue the pro-Assad forces and hold them accountable for their crimes.

“By your heinous act of killing those who protect Syria and stay up to serve it, storming hospitals and terrorizing the innocent, you have attacked all Syrians, by doing so, you have committed a great and unforgivable sin, and you have received a response that you cannot bear, so, throw away your weapons and surrender before it is too late,” Sharaa said in his televised speech on Friday. 

He added: “We will hunt remnants of the deposed regime, those who refused to do anything but continue in their oppression and tyranny, those who committed crimes against the people, and those who seek to undermine security and civil peace.”

A security source in Latakia to the Syrian state news agency (SANA) that another attack by remnants of the former regime targeted the National Hospital in Latakia, noting that the General Security Forces are confronting this attack.

Another source in the Ministry of Defense told SANA that the current regime’s forces thwarted an attack by pro-Assad forces on the naval forces command in Latakia, and restored stability to the region.