16 killed in violent clashes in Syria's Latakia province

Clashes in Syria's Latakia province resulted in the deaths of 16 security personnel, marking the most violent confrontations since the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad. Gunmen loyal to Assad engaged in intense fighting with security forces. Syria's security forces have begun operations to remove Assad loyalists from their strongholds. Helicopter strikes were reported in response to clashes involving gunmen linked to a former Assad commander. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted that most casualties were from the former rebel-held Idlib province. Security forces have been deployed to restore stability in the Jableh area following these violent encounters.