Smoke rises from a factory hit during clashes by Syrian security forces and gunmen loyal to former President Bashar Assad in the outskirts of Latakia, Syria. AP
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that "311 Alawite civilians were killed in the coastal region... by security forces and allied groups" since the clashes began on Thursday, bringing the overall death toll to 524 people, including 213 security personnel and militants.
Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday urged insurgents from ousted president Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority to lay down their arms and surrender after the fiercest attacks on the war-torn country's new rulers yet.
"You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it," Sharaa said in a speech broadcast on Telegram by the Syrian presidency.
"Lay down your weapons and surrender before it's too late."
In his Friday address, Sharaa, who headed the coalition that forced out Assad, also vowed to keep working towards "monopolising weapons in the hands of the state".
"There will be no more unregulated weapons," he pledged.
Western powers and Syria's neighbours have emphasised the need for unity in the new Syria, which is seeking funds for reconstructing a nation ravaged by years of war under Assad.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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