Syria: Alawite protests on Syrian coast leaves 3 dead, local officials say
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\nThree people lost their lives on Sunday when protests in Syria\u2019s Alawite heartland of Latakia spiraled into gunfire and other violence, Al Arabiya English reported.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Alawite protesters gathered on Sunday in Azhari Square \u2060in Latakia city to demand a decentralized political system in Syria and the release of thousands of Alawite prisoners.<\/p>\n
About two hours into the protest, gunshots rang out from an unidentified location, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene. Security forces then fired in the air and the protest descended into chaos, with demonstrators carrying wounded people away on foot.<\/p>\n
A written statement from the Latakia province\u2019s media office that was distributed to reporters said three people were killed and more than 40 people wounded. It did not specify if the casualties were all in Azhari Square or in other towns where protests were also taking place.<\/p>\n
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that one member of the security forces was killed \u2060by gunfire from \u201carmed remnants of the former regime\u201d in Latakia. It said civilians and security personnel \u2060were wounded in gunfire by unknown assailants near Azhari Square.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s rally had been called for by the head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council, Ghazal Ghazal. A \u2060similar protest in November lasted barely an hour before being confronted by a rival protest in support of Syria\u2019s new government. Syrian security forces used gunfire to break up both.<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 Alawites were killed in March after a failed insurrection by al-Assad loyalists sparked revenge killings by government-affiliated forces.<\/p>\n
Last week, eight people were killed when a bomb detonated at an Alawite mosque in the central city of Homs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Syria: Alawite protests on Syrian coast leaves 3 dead, local officials say ———————- Three people lost their lives on Sunday when protests in Syria\u2019s Alawite heartland of Latakia spiraled into gunfire and other violence, Al Arabiya English reported. Thousands of Alawite protesters gathered on Sunday in Azhari Square \u2060in Latakia city to demand a decentralized …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":138571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_108372464460192_245495985553329":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-syria"],"yoast_head":"\n