DAMASCUS — Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa said Sunday that the recent security tensions in the country’s coastal region are “under control,” describing them as “expected challenges.”

"The crisis has passed safely," Al-Sharaa stated after attending dawn prayers at a mosque in the Al Mezzeh district of Damascus, as shown in a video shared on social media.

“What is happening in the country are expected challenges. We must preserve national unity and civil peace among Syrians,” he emphasized.

In recent days, the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus have witnessed intensified security tensions following coordinated attacks by loyalists of the former Assad regime.

The attacks — described as the most severe since the regime’s fall in December — targeted security patrols, checkpoints, and hospitals, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.

In response, security and military forces have launched sweeping operations to track down the attackers, engaging in fierce clashes.

Government officials maintain that the situation is gradually stabilizing.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, marking the end of the Baath Party’s rule, which had been in power since 1963.

Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29. — Agencies