In Syria, the Alawite minority fears settling of scores

The day after the first demonstrations by Alawites, the minority from which former President Bashar al-Assad comes, the new authorities launched a vast security operation in western Syria against the former loyalists of the dictator. The sweep took place in the province of Tartous, a bastion of the minority, around the city of the same name and that of Latakia. According to the official Sana news agency, which operates under the control of the new authorities, the operation, which reportedly left six people dead, made it possible to « neutralize a certain number » members of “militias” loyal to Bashar al-Assad and taking refuge in the mountains since his overthrow more than two weeks ago by a coalition of rebels led by the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Cham (HTC).

This desire to « restore security » comes the day after the first Alawite demonstrations, in Tartous, Banias, Jableh and Latakia, but also in Homs, in…