DAMASCUS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- A wave of gunfire and rumors prompted a wide-scale security operation in Syria's coastal provinces, resulting in dozens of arrests, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday.

The incident began Friday night when gunmen allegedly fired shots across several towns and villages.

A former associate of the ousted Bashar al-Assad government reportedly fueled the chaos by posting a fabricated claim on social media, suggesting a return of Maher al-Assad, the brother of the ousted president, in the coastal region.

The observatory said the rumor caused panic and emboldened "remnants of the old system" to open fire.

In response, the security forces carried out late-night raids on the homes from which shots were fired, confiscating weapons and arresting "dozens" of individuals found in possession of firearms.

Tension was especially high in the city of Jableh, in the coastal province of Latakia.

Armed men, described by the new authorities as "pro-Assad fighters," launched two attacks Friday night against security personnel stationed at a checkpoint near a local military academy.

Security forces reportedly repelled both assaults, although no further details on casualties were provided. A curfew was subsequently imposed, and additional patrols and reinforcements were deployed throughout the area. Enditem

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