On 13 August 2011, during the civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, the Syrian Army and Syrian Navy launched an operation in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, in order to end an anti-Assad rebellion in the Palestinian camp. The operation resulted in dozens killed and wounded. Latakia, however, has remained quiet throughout the conflict in Syria. Background The Palestinian camp in the al-Ramel area of Latakia had been a site of protest activity since March 2011. The Syrian government claimed 12 were killed there in clashes in late March, leading to the deployment of the military to restrict movement into and out of the city and the government announcing a string of reforms to appease the protesters. The Los Angeles Times claimed that hundreds of Syrians were arrested, and by late July, activists in Latakia were telling foreign media they feared a more violent crackdown was coming. Protests continued despite the increased security presence and arrests. Several civilians were allegedly killed in confrontations with security officers during this early period of the siege. Escalation More than 20 tanks and APCs rolled into Latakia on 13 August, according to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). It reported that activists said at least two civilians were killed in operations on 13 August. On 14 August, the opposition Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) claimed the death toll increased dramatically as the Syrian Army commenced an artillery and tank bombardment of outskirts of Latakia and the Syrian Navy fired on neighborhoods near the coast with gunboats armed with heavy machine guns. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had the names of 26 confirmed dead near Latakia, while SOHR said most of the deaths were caused by machine-gunning. The Syrian government said two security officers and four armed men who were terrorizing residents were killed. The assault reportedly continued on 15 August, when the Syrian Army ordered residents in southern and southeastern Latakia to evacuate. Al Jazeera reported residents claimed soldiers were arresting Palestinians in central Latakia, transporting them with buses, and corralling them inside Al-Assad Stadium. The Syrian Revolution Co-ordinating Union, a coalition of opposition activists, said at least six were killed throughout the day in the camp near Latakia. The Syrian government denied it was directing gunboats against Latakia, calling the claims absolutely baseless, and said the ships off the coast of Latakia were part of an