1999 Latakia protests
| 1999 Latakia protests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | October 1999 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | Closure of economic interests owned by Rifaat al-Assad | ||
| Resulted in | Syrian government victory
| ||
| Parties | |||
| Lead figures | |||
| Casualties | |||
| Death(s) | 2 (official figure) Hundreds (opposition figure) | ||
| Injuries | Hundreds (opposition figure) | ||
| Arrested | ~1,000 protesters | ||
The 1999 Latakia protests (or 1999 Latakia incident) were violent protests and armed clashes, which erupted in Latakia, Syria following the 1998 People's Assembly's elections. The violent events were an explosion of a long-running feud between Hafez al-Assad and his younger brother Rifaat. Two people were killed in fire exchanges between Syrian police and Rifaat's supporters during a police crack-down on Rifaat's port compound in Latakia. According to opposition sources, which were denied by the government, the protests left hundreds dead or injured.