In the coastal area of ​​northwest Syria, security forces of the current Islamist interim government and supporters of ousted Bashar al-Assad have clashed fiercely. At least 180 people have been killed in the clashes. A curfew was declared in the area as of Friday morning.

Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Shara came to power as interim president in January. However, the ongoing uprising is seen as the biggest challenge since he seized power, according to Shara. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that more than 180 people had been killed in two days of clashes between government forces and rebels in areas inhabited by the minority Alawite community as of Friday.

Syria’s oil-rich northeast is still outside the government’s control. It is occupied by US-led Kurdish forces. Meanwhile, rallies were held in Damascus and other cities in support of the Syrian interim government on Friday. Syria’s allies, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, said they were on the side of the government forces. Meanwhile, the UN envoy for Syria expressed grief over the conflict in the country and the civilian deaths.

Photos and video from Al Mukhtaria show at least 20 bodies lying close together on the side of a road in the city center. Some of the bodies are covered in blood. Reuters has been able to confirm the location of the video. It is not yet clear when or who made the video. Alawite members blame gunmen linked to the Islamist government for the killings.