Over 1,300 Syrians killed, many thought to be civilians, have been killed within three days of intense clashes between forces allied with Syria’s new government and supporters of the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad, as reported by a human rights organization.
This conflict represents the most severe violence in the country since insurgents overthrew the Assad regime last December. It also poses the greatest challenge yet for Syria’s new government since taking office.
On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, reported that 830 civilians, 231 members of Syrian security forces, and 250 Alawite militants have been killed. These figures have not been independently verified.
The Observatory described many of the killings as executions and massacres, targeting the Alawite community in acts of revenge, as this group traditionally supported Assad. The human rights organization also noted incidents of homes being set on fire and forced displacement, exacerbated by the lack of international intervention.
Initially, casualties primarily consisted of combatants from both sides, according to reports from the Observatory. However, as the clashes continued, the civilian death toll surged, with many individuals shot at close range.
Contributing to this issue is the involvement of additional armed groups aiming to retaliate against the Alawite sect for their past support of the former regime.
Alawite leaders have reported that their communities in and around Latakia and Tartus have been targeted for weeks since the Assad regime’s overthrow, as previously reported by NPR.
The human rights organization stated that the Alawite gunmen supporting the former regime do not represent the entire Alawite community, and many Alawite residents are fervently seeking peace.
The new government is headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group that ousted the Assad regime. The group’s leader and Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has consistently promised to protect all minorities. However, fulfilling this pledge has been challenging, particularly concerning the Alawites, partly because the government lacks an official police force or army.
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