gunman

But he kept visits brief, fearing he wouldn’t have enough time to escape if state-aligned gunmen came to attack.

The violence escalated on Thursday, after 13 security personnel were killed in an ambush by gunmen in the coastal town of Jableh.

The attack by al-Shabab began with a car bomb exploding, followed by gunmen entering the hotel, leading to intense clashes with security forces.

On Thursday, security personnel were ambushed by gunmen in the town of Jableh as they tried to arrest a wanted Assad regime official.

This figure includes dozens of government troops and gunmen loyal to Assad, who have been locked in clashes in the coastal Latakia and Tartous provinces since Thursday.