Exiled Loyalists Fueling Unrest in Post-Assad Syria

Former loyalists to Bashar al-Assad are funding potential fighters to reclaim influence in Syria. Competing factions led by Kamal Hassan and Rami Makhlouf are mobilizing forces within the Alawite community. The Syrian government counters this with Khaled al-Ahmad's efforts to stabilize and unify the nation.

Exiled loyalists of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad are funneling millions of dollars to potential fighters in an effort to reclaim influence. A Reuters investigation has unearthed plans by former Assad insiders Kamal Hassan and Rami Makhlouf to form militias of Alawites, Assad's sect, aiming to control coastal regions in Syria and Lebanon.

While Assad has accepted exile in Moscow, factions within his previous inner circle resist letting go of power. They aim to leverage a network of underground command posts and weapon caches. Attempts are underway to recruit thousands with the promise of loyalty pay. Meanwhile, Syria's current government is taking steps to thwart these initiatives.

Khaled al-Ahmad, a former Assad ally turned advocate for Syria's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, seeks to redirect Alawite support towards unity with the burgeoning government. Amid ongoing efforts to counteract the machinations of Hassan and Makhlouf, Alawites demand more autonomy in protest movements, further complicating Syria's political recovery.

(With inputs from agencies.)