Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa made his first official visit to the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus on Sunday, according to his office. These provinces were once strongholds of the ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.
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Tartus, once a loyal Assad stronghold, lit up in a dazzling display of color and celebration to welcome #Syria’s new president, Ahmed Al Sharaa.
Earlier, Al Sharaa visited his former powerbase, Idlib, and Latakia, another Assad bastion. pic.twitter.com/UWLzT2BdKF
— Somali Guardian (@SomaliGuardian) February 17, 2025
During his visit, Sharaa met with “dignitaries and notables,” as reported by the Syrian presidency on Telegram. Images were shared showing Sharaa meeting with several individuals, including what appeared to be religious figures, in the capital cities of the two provinces.
Footage shared by Latakia province’s official Telegram channel earlier on Sunday showed thousands of people gathered in the city, some taking photos as Sharaa’s convoy passed through.
Sharaa’s Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led the rebel forces that ousted Assad in December, and Sharaa was appointed interim president last month.
Latakia, Assad’s hometown, along with neighboring Tartus, is home to a large portion of the Alawite community, a Shiite Muslim sect to which Assad’s family belongs. While Assad portrayed himself as a protector of minorities in Syria’s diverse society, much of the power was concentrated within the Alawite community.
Latakia and Tartus also house Russia’s only two military bases outside the former Soviet Union.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that while violence in Latakia after Assad’s downfall has decreased, occasional attacks on checkpoints still occur.
State news agency SANA, citing the interior ministry, reported that a security patrol in Latakia was attacked on Sunday, injuring two patrol members and killing a woman.
Latakia has also witnessed reprisals against those seen as linked to the former government, although such incidents have reduced recently, according to the Observatory. Security operations have been conducted to track down “remnants” of the ousted regime’s forces.
Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Observatory, noted, “There are still thousands of officers from the former regime present in Latakia and who haven’t settled their status” with the new authorities.
Sharaa’s visit could be interpreted as a message signaling that “there is no possibility for the regime of Bashar al-Assad to move in Latakia or on the Syrian coast,” Abdel Rahman told AFP.
Despite reassurances from Syria’s new leadership about protecting minorities, particularly the Alawite community, members of this minority remain fearful of reprisals due to their ties to the Assad family.
Sharaa’s trip follows earlier visits to Idlib, the former rebel stronghold, and Aleppo.
