The UN Security Council has approved a draft resolution in which its members condemn violence in Syria's coastal areas, Reuters reported, citing diplomatic sources.
The document, which is expected to be formally adopted on Friday, calls on the interim Syrian authorities to ensure the protection of all citizens of the country, regardless of their ethnicity or religion. The members of the Security Council have reached a consensus on coordinating the statement, which emphasizes the unity of their positions.
On March 6, clashes began in the Syrian provinces of Latakia, Tartus and Homs between security forces controlled by the country's new leadership and units supporting former President Bashar al-Assad. The heaviest fighting has been in the city of Jableh, home to the Alawites, a religious minority to which the Assad family belongs. On March 10, the new authorities announced the end of the operation in these provinces and the neutralization of groups supporting the former Syrian leader.
According to the latest data, since the beginning of the escalation of the situation in western Syria, 250 armed supporters of Assad have been killed, and the security forces have lost 231 fighters. The number of civilian deaths has exceeded 900, most of them from the Alawite community.