The villages in the countryside of Jableh (southeast of Latakia) have been on high alert since Wednesday to combat the fires that have spread from the Al-Ghab Plain in the Hama countryside to the villages of Beit Yashout and Ain Al-Sharqiya in the Jableh countryside. There has been significant public participation in firefighting efforts.
Ibrahim Al-Hussein, the head of the research, rescue, and firefighting program in Civil Defense, stated to Syrian media that threats to Syria’s vegetation remain due to a severe wave of fires in several locations in the countrysides of Hama, Idlib, Homs, Latakia, and Tartus. These fires pose a significant threat to Syria’s green spaces, exacerbating the impacts of this year’s drought seasons and negatively affecting the environment, weather, and all aspects of life throughout Syria.
The Syrian Civil Defense confirmed the intensification of efforts on the large fires in the areas of Broma and Ara in Jabal Al-Akrad and the areas of Kasab and Al-Yamdiya in northern Latakia countryside, amidst significant difficulties due to winds, high temperatures, and the challenging mountainous terrain.
More than 1,120 people were forced to leave their homes, with the number of affected individuals estimated at around 5,000, including children, patients, and the elderly suffering from respiratory diseases worsened by the thick smoke that reached the city of Hama and its countryside and southern Idlib.
Additionally, a statement on Thursday explained that “groups of remnants attacked a military vehicle belonging to the army in the Latakia countryside without causing human losses.” At the same time, it warned those it described as “remnants of the defunct regime from any attempts on the Syrian coast,” affirming that it would not tolerate any targeting of army forces or civilians.
Recently, security forces have conducted a series of “special operations,” leading to the capture of several cells of the defunct regime’s remnants and the dismantling of their leadership and organizational structures.
The coastal areas (Latakia, Tartus, and Banyas) witnessed, on March 6th, violent events and bloody confrontations that affected civilians and general security members. The government blamed armed groups loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad for the attacks on its forces and the execution of dozens of them, while security elements were accused of committing violations against civilians, and burning and looting homes.
