Statement by dignitaries and elders of Latakia following the recent events on the coast.

The elders and sheikhs of Latakia issued a statement on Saturday, March 8, regarding the security developments and recent events witnessed in the Syrian coastal region since last Thursday.

The statement emphasized the need to hold accountable those involved in shedding blood from remnants of the former regime and others in the region.

The statement called on the Alawite community to support the state, the Ministry of Defense, and security forces, to strengthen national unity and protect it from external schemes aimed at dividing the Syrian people of all sects.

It also stressed the importance of centralizing weapons in the hands of the state, and called for the dissolution of what is known as the "Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and Abroad," represented by Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal.

For his part, the President of the Interim Syrian Government, Ahmed al-Shar'a, affirmed that what is happening in Syria was expected, calling for the preservation of civil peace and national unity, and stating that the authorities will pursue elements affiliated with the former regime who committed crimes against the Syrian people, confirming that weapons will remain exclusively in the hands of the state.

In a related context, security forces have been deployed in the coastal region and have imposed control over areas that witnessed violent confrontations, the most intense since the fall of the former regime on December 8 last year.

Reports have indicated crimes against civilians in the area, resulting in the death of more than 300 people, while the Syrian public security announced the arrest of undisciplined groups for committing violations.