According to Agence France Presse on March 6th, observation organizations reported that on the 6th, there was a fierce exchange of fire between Syrian security forces and armed militants loyal to former President Bashar al Assad, resulting in 48 deaths. The conflict occurred in the Latakia province along the Mediterranean coast, which is the core area of the Alawite faction. During the reign of Bashar al Assad, the Alawite faction strongly supported him. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the conflict in the coastal town of Jable and its surrounding villages is "the most violent attack against the new authorities since the overthrow of the Bashar regime in December last year". The organization said that armed militants supporting Bashar al Assad killed 16 security personnel, while 28 militants loyal to the ousted Bashar al Assad died, and 4 civilians were killed. Mustafa Knefati, a security official in Latakia Province, said that in a carefully planned and premeditated attack, residual armed forces supporting Bashar al Assad attacked our positions and checkpoints, targeting our numerous patrol personnel in the Jeble area. The report mentioned that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, headquartered in the UK, said that most of the security personnel who died came from the former rebel stronghold of Idlib in the northwest. (New Society)