By Jana Choukeir DUBAI (Reuters) -A Syrian military operation against loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad has been completed, the defence ministry said on Monday, after the heaviest fighting since former rebels seized power three months ago.

The violence broke out when gunmen loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad ambushed a Syrian security patrol near the port city of Latakia.

Clashes between loyalists & the new rulers have killed more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, according to a war monitoring group.

Syrian defense ministry announced on Monday the completion of the military operations to fight remnants of former ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The clashes between Assad's loyalists and the country's new Islamist rulers have killed over 1,

Syrian authorities say they have halted a military operation along the country's western coastline designed to quell a surge in violence that is reported to have claimed hundreds of lives. "We are announcing the end of the military operation

Syria ends military operation against al-Assad loyalists after days of fighting According to UK-based war monitor, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 1,130 people were killed in the clashes, including 830 civilians.

A monitoring group says 973 civilians have been killed in revenge attacks against the Alawite sect since Thursday.