LATAKIA: Syria's new authorities announced on Monday the end of an operation against loyalists of deposed president Bashar al Assad, after nearly 1,000 civilians were killed in the worst violence since his overthrow. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported the mass killings of at least 973 civilians since Thursday.
The authorities on Monday ended their sweeping "military operation" against security threats and "regime remnants" in Latakia and Tartus provinces on the Mediterranean coast, defence ministry spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani said in a statement. The announcement came after interim president Ahmed al Sharaa said the country would not be dragged into civil war again. "Syria... will not allow any foreign powers or domestic parties to drag it into chaos or civil war," Sharaa said in a speech posted by SANA. He also vowed to "hold accountable, firmly and without leniency, anyone who was involved in the bloodshed of civilians... or who overstepped the powers of the state". — AFP
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