A British-based war monitor said Wednesday that six Islamic militants were killed and dozens were injured in clashes between the Islamists who seized control of Syria and allies of the regime of former President Bashar Assad.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the fighters were killed while attempting to apprehend a former Assad regime official who was charged with arbitrary verdicts against thousands of prisoners and issuing execution orders. The combatants were members of the group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which spearheaded the spectacular onslaught that overthrew Assad earlier this month.

Syria's transition has been unexpectedly smooth, but it has only been a few weeks since Assad left the country and his administration and forces disappeared. The insurgents who overthrew Assad followed a fundamentalist Islamist ideology. While they have promised to establish a system that includes all groups, it is unclear how they plan to share power or if they truly intend to do so. Since Assad's fall, activists and monitors report that dozens of Syrians have been killed in revenge attacks, with most of the victims belonging to the Alawite community, a Shiite Islam offshoot to which Assad belongs.

In Damascus, the capital, Alawite protesters clashed with Sunni counter-protesters, and gunfire was heard. The Associated Press could not independently verify details of the shooting. Alawite demonstrations also occurred in the Hama region and the city of Homs, both of which are located near Syria's coast. Some demanded the release of HTS-incarcerated soldiers from the previous Syrian army. According to the Syrian Observatory, HTS soldiers suppressed the demonstration in Homs, killing at least one protestor and injuring five others. A curfew from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. was enforced by HTS in reaction to the protests. Protests by the Alawite community were partly triggered by an online video showing an Alawite shrine being burned. However, interim authorities claimed that the video was old and not a recent event.

Since Assad's removal, there have been occasional outbreaks of sectarian violence, but not as severe as feared after nearly 14 years of civil war. The conflict killed an estimated 500,000 people, tore Syria apart, and forced millions to become refugees or flee their homes. This week, some Syrians who had been forced to leave their homes began returning, hoping to rebuild their lives. Many were shocked to see the destruction, with little left of their houses. In the northwestern region of Idlib, people were busy fixing up their shops and sealing broken windows on Tuesday, trying to restore a sense of normal life. The city of Idlib and most of the surrounding province have been controlled for years by HTS, a group led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani. He was once linked to al-Qaida. The area has faced relentless attacks from government forces.

Hajjah Zakia Daemessaid, who was forced to leave her home during the war, described returning to her house in the Idlib countryside as a mix of emotions. "My husband and I spent 43 years of hard work saving money to build our home, only to find that all of it has gone to waste," said the 62-year-old. Throughout the dusty areas, automobiles passed with strapped luggage. Sitting in deserted coffee cafes or standing aimlessly on the streets. Syria's new authorities raided warehouses in Damascus on Wednesday and seized substances used by Assad's army, including cannabis and Captagon. According to the interim authorities, hundreds of kilos (pounds) of cannabis and a million Captagon pills were burned.