Tens of thousands of members of the Alawite sect in Syria, in Latakia, Jableh, Homs, Hama, and Damascus, took part in angry demonstrations, after activists circulated a video showing gunmen burning the shrine of “Sheikh Abu Abdullah Al-Khasibi – Sheikh Yabraq,” in Aleppo, denouncing the attack on the shrine.، His guards were killed.
The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced in a statement, “The widespread video of the burning of the shrine of Sheikh Abu Abdullah Al-Khasibi is old and dates back to the period of the liberation of Aleppo.”
The statement said: “Today, video clips were spread on some social media sites showing an incident of storming and assaulting the shrine of Sheikh Abu Abdullah Al-Khasibi.”
He added: “One of the religious shrines of one of the sects in Aleppo Governorate, and these clips were promoted as having occurred recently.”
The statement confirmed: “We confirm that the circulated video is an old video dating back to the period of the liberation of the city of Aleppo, which was carried out by unknown groups.”
He continued: “Our agencies are working day and night to preserve property and religious sites. The goal of re-publishing such clips is to stir up discord among the Syrian people in this sensitive stage that Syria is going through.”
He explained: “Some remnants of the former regime on the Syrian coast tried to exploit the rumors and targeted our forces in the Ministry of Interior, resulting in a number of martyrs and wounded.”
The statement added: “We warn against spreading rumors that seek to destabilize and tamper with civil peace. We will not hesitate to pursue anyone who seeks to tamper with the security of our people and their property and bring them to justice to receive their just punishment.”
The Minister of the Interior, Mr. Muhammad Abd al-Rahman, said: 14 members of the Ministry of Interior were martyred and 10 others were injured after being exposed to a treacherous ambush by the remnants of the criminal regime in the countryside of Tartous Governorate, while performing their duties to maintain security and the safety of the people.
The Minister of the Interior, Mr. Muhammad Abd al-Rahman, added: Today the Ministry of the Interior provided an example of sacrifice and redemption to preserve the security and stability of Syria and the safety of its people. These sacrifices will not stop until stability is achieved and security is extended to the Syrian people, and we will strike with an iron fist anyone who dares to tamper with the security of Syria. And the lives of her children.”
The Public Security Administration and the Syrian Police Forces announced “the deployment of its members in Latakia, Damascus, and Homs with the aim of controlling security and stability.”
The police command in Homs and Latakia announced “a curfew in the two governorates from 6 p.m. until 8 a.m. in light of the events that followed the spread of the video.”
In turn, the Minister of Information in the Syrian caretaker government, Muhammad al-Omar, confirmed that “the circulating video of the burning of an ancient religious shrine in Aleppo indicates the presence of those seeking to stir up strife, and they will be dealt with firmly to ensure the stability of the country.”
Al-Omar said: “The video circulating about the burning of a religious shrine in Aleppo is an old clip, and similar incidents have not been recorded since the liberation.”
Al-Omar pointed out “the presence of hidden hands seeking to stir up internal strife, stressing that those concerned will deal with them firmly to ensure the stability of the country.”
He stressed “the government’s full commitment to protecting all religious and historical sites and preserving them from any attack, as they are a national and humanitarian heritage that brings together the people of Syria from all walks of life.”
Al-Omar reminded that Syria “lived for hundreds of years with the diversity of its sects and ethnicities, and today it is more powerful and ready to consolidate peace and love,” stressing that “the era of sectarian tensions fueled by the fallen Assad regime has ended.”
Latakia Governor Muhammad Othman said: “We reassure our people, with all its components, that the Syrian government is committed to maintaining civil peace and societal cohesion.”
Othman added: “We confirm that our security and police forces are carrying out their tasks to control security, and we call on the free Syrian people not to be drawn into the reactions.”
After a video was circulated showing an attack on an Alawite shrine, thousands of Alawites demonstrated for the first time since the fall of Assad
Published byDW ArabicIn Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Last updated: December 26, 2024 – 12:45
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