Militias aligned with deposed President Bashar al-Assad killed two members of Syria’s transitional security forces in an ambush on Tuesday, the forces said, as the new administration struggles to maintain stability in parts of the country.

What happened: Lt. Col. Mustafa Kunaifati, director of the Public Security Department in Latakia, said that one of their security patrols was ambushed near the town of Qardaha in coastal Latakia province by “remnants” of pro-Assad militias. Two members of the security forces were killed, and an unspecified number of others were injured. Another seven members were captured by the militia, Syria’s official news agency, SANA, reported.

Kunaifati stated that their forces successfully freed those taken by the militias and captured five militia members after clashes. He identified an individual known as Bassam Hassan al-Din as one of the leaders of the pro-Assad militias, saying he “killed himself” while throwing explosives at the transitional security forces during the fighting. It was unclear whether Din did so accidentally or not.

On Monday, Assad-affiliated militias attacked vehicles belonging to the Public Security Department in the nearby town of Ain al-Sharqiya and the area surrounding the town of Jableh. The security forces searched the area for the militias later on Tuesday using helicopters, SANA reported.