Syria Announces End of Operation Against Assad 'Regime Remnants'

Syria's interim government on Monday announced the end of a days-long military operation against insurgents loyal to ousted president Bashar Assad and his family in the worst fighting since the end of the 13-year civil war in December.

- Agencies

DAMASCUS:

The defence ministry's announcement comes after a surprise attack by gunmen from the Alawite community on a police patrol near the port city of Lattakia, on Thursday, spiralled into widespread clashes across Syria's coastal region, during which monitoring groups said hundreds of civilians were killed.

Syria's new interim Islamist rulers are struggling to exert their authority across the country and reach political settlements with other minority communities, notably the Kurds of the northeast and the Druze in southern Syria.

"To the remaining remnants of the defeated regime and its fleeing officers, our message is clear and explicit," said Defence Ministry spokesperson Col. Hassan Abdel-Ghani.