Damascus, March 7 Syrian security forces on Friday launched a major operation against Qardaha, the hometown of former President Bashar al-Assad, a war monitor reported.
The operation, which saw the forces deploying tanks and armoured vehicles, followed their recent takeover of Baniyas, a strategic coastal city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.
It came as Anas Hasan Khattab, head of Syria's General Intelligence Service, accused on social media former military and security officials from al-Assad's regime of directing attacks against Syria from abroad.
The SOHR reported earlier in the day that forces from the defense and interior ministries combed Baniyas and its surroundings, employing heavy artillery and machine guns.
It added that reinforcements continue to pour into coastal regions, suggesting a prolonged military campaign.
Meanwhile, intense clashes erupted in Latakia and Tartous over the past 24 hours, as government forces moved to crack down on armed resistance, it noted.
According to the SOHR, since the onset of the clashes along the coastline, 35 members of government forces, 32 fighters affiliated with the former regime, and four civilians have been killed, with dozens wounded.
Amid the security campaign, authorities in Latakia and Tartous announced on Friday the extension of curfews and postponement of university exams, Xinhua news agency reported.
As tension escalates in Syria's coastal regions, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Friday in a statement that the violence in Latakia "could undermine efforts to lead Syria into the future of unity and solidarity."
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