Syrian defense ministry announced on Monday the completion of the military operations to fight remnants of former ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

The violence broke out when gunmen loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad ambushed a Syrian security patrol near the port city of Latakia.

In the worst outbreak of unrest since Syria’s transitional government took power, hundreds of people have been killed or wounded in clashes between the security forces and supporters of former President Bashar al Assad this week,

Clashes between Syrian forces and Assad loyalists in the dictator's former heartlands show the risks ahead, writes Middle East correspondent Hugh Bachega.

At least 240 people have been killed in northwest Syria as fierce clashes escalate between government forces and loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad, marking the deadliest violence since the fall of Assad three months ago.

Fighters siding with Syria's new government stormed several villages near the country's coast, killing dozens of men in response to recent attacks on government security forces by loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad,

At least 70 people have died in armed clashes between Syria's security forces and forces still loyal to deposed dictator Bashir al-Assad, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It is the worst violence in Syria since rebels toppled Assad in December and installed an Islamist transitional government. A war monitoring group, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said more than 70 people have been killed. A curfew has been imposed in the cities of Latakia and Tartous, where the fighting has broken out.