On December 28, 2024, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Lebanese authorities have transferred approximately 70 Syrians, including several officers from the former regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, to military operations management in the rural area of Tartus, Syria.

The Observatory noted that the Lebanese Army facilitated the handover, which took place at the Al-Arida crossing between Lebanon and Syria, in the presence of a Lebanese security delegation. This delegation included a colonel from the Lebanese General Security, overseeing the transfer.

According to sources from the Observatory, three buses from the Lebanese General Security transported the detainees, who were apprehended on December 27 for illegally entering the Jbeil area of Lebanon.

On December 26, the new administration in Syria launched a security campaign in Tartus province, vowing to pursue remnants of Bashar al-Assad's regime, as reported by Syrian state media.

The violence in Tartus, a coastal region that is home to many members of Assad's Alawite sect, represents some of the bloodiest confrontations faced by the administration that deposed Assad on December 8.

The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that the military operations management has initiated an operation to hunt down remnants of Assad's regime in the rural areas of Tartus. The agency stated that this operation aims to restore security, stability, and civil peace while targeting Assad's militia remnants hiding in the hills and forests of the region.

On December 8, opposition Syrian factions took control of Damascus following their capture of several other cities, marking the end of over five decades of Assad family rule.