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Homs Clashes Raise Minority Concerns... Security Campaign in Al-Ghor Reveals Fragility
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Events in Rural Homs Reveal Need to Adopt Approach Respecting Regional Privacy and Preventing Repetition of Previous Regime's Suppression Policies
Syrian security forces launched a large-scale military operation in the western town of Al-Ghor in rural Homs, resulting in at least six deaths, in a dangerous development raising serious concerns about the policy of excessive force in dealing with Syria's diverse regions.
Rami Abdul Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, revealed to AFP the nature of the targeted area, explaining that it "used to include local groups close to Lebanese Hezbollah," noting that these groups left the area following the fall of Assad's regime on December 8.
The official Syrian news agency (SANA) reported details of the clashes, quoting a source in the General Security Administration that the campaign targeted "weapons warehouses, drug dealers, smugglers, and remnants of Assad's militias who refused to surrender their weapons," confirming the seizure of "a weapons and ammunition depot belonging to the defunct regime."
Concerns have escalated about the implications of using excessive force in the Shiite-majority area, especially with security forces using tanks and heavy weapons in the operation, in a scene reminding Syrians of the previous regime's practices.
Syrian affairs experts view that the military operation in Al-Ghor reveals the continuation of a centralized approach in managing Syrian regions, ignoring their social and religious specificity, which may deepen rifts in the social fabric.
Concerns are increasing among Syrian components about the possibility of repeating the previous regime's policies in dealing with sectarian-diverse areas, despite repeated statements by the new Syrian leadership about respecting the rights of all components.
Observers confirm that continuing the security grip policy in dealing with Syrian regions contradicts the requirements of the transitional phase, which calls for building trust between various components.
Field reports indicate the arrest of dozens during the military campaign, especially those who have not settled their status with the new authorities, raising fears of a return to mass arrest policies.
Experts emphasize the need to adopt an approach that respects the privacy of Syrian regions and guarantees the rights of all their components, noting that centralized governance experiences in Syria have proven their failure in achieving stability and development.
Concerns continue about the new authority's tendency toward establishing a religious system of governance, excluding Syrian components, and excluding women from political work, despite repeated reassurance messages directed by officials to various Syrian components and the international community.
Local sources confirm that the situation in western rural Homs remains tense, with continuing military and security reinforcements in the area, increasing concerns of local residents and threatening the region's stability.
Levant-Agencies
