Calm returned to Syrian coastal cities Monday following protests by separatists and Assad remnants the day before, with local authorities reporting a significant security presence to prevent further unrest.
On Sunday, protests had erupted in several provinces, including Latakia, which is largely populated by members of the Alawite community to which former dictator Bashar Assad belonged to. Similar demonstrations were reported in the provinces of Tartus, Homs and Hama.
In Latakia, a source in the governorate told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) that "the city is calm today across all areas, with public security forces and Ministry of Defense units deployed to avoid incidents that could harm civilians or damage property."
Syrian authorities, however, blamed supporters of the country's now-deposed ruler, Assad, for attacking security forces and civilians during the unrest in Latakia, resulting in three deaths, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.
The protests were in response to a call from Alawite separatist leader Ghazal Ghazal, who has previously been known for his support of the regime and for advocating a military solution against the Syrian revolution.
