The Public Security Administration in Latakia Province, the stronghold of the Assad family in western Syria, announced a "curfew until 10 a.m." on Friday following clashes and confrontations between security forces and armed factions loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad. These events have resulted in over 70 fatalities.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 70 people, mostly from Syrian security forces and pro-Assad armed factions, were killed during unprecedented clashes between the two sides on Thursday in Latakia, home to the Alawite minority to which the Assad family belongs.

Establishing security in Syria remains one of the main challenges facing transitional president Ahmed Al-Sharaa's administration, as various factions and armed groups with differing allegiances operate across several provinces after 13 years of devastating conflict.

On Thursday, Latakia Province experienced the most intense clashes since Assad was ousted on December 8. Security forces used helicopters to target pro-Assad militants, according to the observatory.

The decision to impose a curfew followed a series of unprecedented violent attacks carried out by pro-Assad militants in western Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

These attacks represent one of the deadliest incidents against the new administration since Assad's ousting on December 8, marking the highest single-day death toll caused by pro-Assad forces. This raises fears of escalating tensions in the Syrian coastal region.

The tensions began in the town of Beit Anana, the hometown of Colonel Suhail Hassan, a prominent former military leader in the Syrian army during Assad's rule. The unrest started when locals prevented security forces from arresting an individual accused of arms trafficking.

In response, security forces launched a crackdown in the area, leading to clashes with unidentified armed factions, whose affiliations remain unclear according to the observatory. Subsequently, the observatory reported that "Syrian helicopters launched strikes on militants in Beit Anana and surrounding forests," alongside artillery shelling on a neighboring village.

It is worth noting that the city of Latakia, predominantly inhabited by Alawites, witnessed significant security tensions in the days following Assad's ousting. These tensions had subsided recently but have now resurfaced and intensified.