An overnight curfew was imposed by Syria’s ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group after 14 members of the Syria’s interior ministry were killed in what they described as an ambush by supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

Clashes between Islamists who took over Syria and supporters of ousted President Bashar Assad's government killed two Islamic fighters on Wednesday and wounded others, according to interim officials.

Syria's new rulers began an operation in western Tartous province, home to many from ousted leader Bashar Assad's Alawite sect. The killing of 14 police officers the previous day has irked the Islamist-led authorities.

The violence in Tartous province marks the deadliest challenge yet to the Islamist-led authorities which swept Bashar al-Assad from power.

Syria's new rebel-led authorities say supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad have killed 14 interior ministry troops in an "ambush" in the west of the country. They say 10 other troops were wounded in the fighting on Tuesday near the Mediterranean port of Tartous,

Syria's new authorities on Thursday launched a security crackdown in a coastal region where 14 policemen were killed a day before, vowing to pursue "remnants" of the