Syria: Clashes between supporters of the new government and Bashar al-Assad loyalists leave 17 dead

Supporters of the new Syrian government, led by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and loyalists of Bashar al-Assad, whose regime collapsed earlier in December, clashed fiercely on Wednesday, resulting in 17 deaths.

According to the government of de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, 14 members of his regime's forces were killed during the fighting, which took place on the outskirts of the city of Tartous, in the west of the country, one of the strongholds of the Alawite minority, to which the Assad family belongs.

The London, UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights further reported the death of three "armed fighters," in an apparent reference to people loyal to the Assad regime.

The clashes erupted as the new government forces attempted to arrest a former officer of Assad's forces.

Concerns about potential acts of revenge against soldiers loyal to the ousted Assad regime

Although Ahmed al-Sharaa and his entourage are trying to change their image from radical Islamists to a more moderate one, which is why they have stated that they will protect the country's minorities and will not carry out acts of revenge, the truth is that concerns persist as to how the new Syrian authorities will act.

According to activists and organizations in Syria, dozens of people have been killed in acts of revenge since the fall of Assad. The Associated Press reported that most of them were members of the Alawite community.

The clashes erupted after a series of Alawite protests in some of the country's cities, including Damascus, Syria's capital.

The protests were suppressed by Ahmed al-Sharaa's forces, leaving at least one protester dead and five others injured.