Part 3/7:
With the epicenter of conflict transitioning from urban centers to the surrounding countryside, officials estimate that up to 5,000 loyalists from the former regime are now armed and active across the coastal cities, including Tartus and Latakia, as well as neighboring mountainous regions. Tragically, hundreds of security forces and regime loyalists have already lost their lives in these clashes, but perhaps the most heartbreaking toll is among civilians, including women and children, who have been caught in the crossfire. The overwhelming majority of these civilian casualties come from the elite minority group that has historically supported the Assad family.