Damascus: At least 237 people have been killed in Syria's coastal region since the latest military escalation began on Thursday, according to casualty figures released by a war monitor on Friday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that military personnel, opposition fighters, and civilians were among those killed as government forces continued their crackdown on remnants of the former regime's military factions in the governorates of Latakia, Tartous, and Hama.
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The clashes erupted after gunmen ambushed military forces, checkpoints and headquarters along the coastline, the Observatory said.
As violent clashes and ambushes persist across the region, the death toll since Thursday has climbed to 237, including 142 non-combatants, according to the Observatory. The toll also includes 50 soldiers and officers from Syria's Defense and Interior Ministries and 45 opposition fighters.
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The Observatory indicated that additional reinforcements and heavy weaponry have been deployed to key flashpoints as fighting remains ongoing in rural Latakia and Tartous.
The Observatory said that the clashes marked the deadliest escalation since the fall of the previous government last December.
