Day by day, the role of the so-called “National Guard” militia, formed by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, is becoming clearer, as it suppresses and detains those opposing its attempts to isolate the province from the Syrian homeland.

The Syrian coast, still a stronghold of officers and remnants of the former Assad regime, remains a breeding ground for organized networks working to undermine the new Syrian state’s efforts to restore stability.

Tensions between “Israel” and Syria have soared this week after the Israeli government accused the Syrian authorities of failing to protect the country’s Druze minority.