Syria’s new Islamist-led government, under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced Sunday the formation of what it called an independent investigative committee to examine the recent wave of violence in Alawite-majority coastal regions. Since Thursday, more than 1,300 people have been killed, including at least 830 Alawite civilians who were reportedly executed, according to emerging reports. The remaining fatalities include 481 fighters, both members of al-Sharaa’s security forces and loyalists of the ousted Assad regime.
The violence erupted Thursday when Assad loyalists ambushed security forces in Latakia province, prompting fierce retaliation. Eyewitness accounts from the region describe Alawite civilians being rounded up and executed, with gunmen linked to the current government allegedly carrying out summary killings. Arabic media outlets aligned with the former government have reported additional massacres in Alawite villages over the past 24 hours
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that numerous communities near Latakia have lost access to water and electricity due to the ongoing conflict. Clashes have also spread to neighboring Tartus province. A Syrian security official told Reuters that Assad loyalists have targeted infrastructure, including power stations, in an effort to disrupt the government’s hold on the region. Meanwhile, government forces continue searching mountainous areas where an estimated 5,000 Assad loyalists are believed to be hiding.
As the violence escalated, President al-Sharaa sought to distance his administration from the reported massacres, asserting that rogue elements were responsible for civilian deaths. The government acknowledged that the influx of fighters into the region had resulted in human rights violations but insisted it remained committed to protecting all religious and ethnic communities.
During dawn prayers at a Damascus mosque on Sunday, al-Sharaa addressed the situation, saying, “What’s happening in Syria now is part of the expected challenges. We must maintain national unity and civil peace. There’s no threat to the country. We urge Syrians to remain confident that the state has the means to endure. We can live together in this country.”
International reactions have been swift. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly condemned the violence, calling on Syrian authorities to prosecute what he termed “radical Islamist terrorists” responsible for the executions. He reaffirmed Washington’s support for Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed those concerns, calling the reports from Syria’s coastal regions “horrifying.” The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged an immediate end to the killings, warning of ethnic-based executions carried out by multiple actors, including members of both the current and former regimes.
Meanwhile, protests erupted in Damascus on Sunday, with demonstrators calling for justice for the Alawite victims. Security forces dispersed the gathering after clashes broke out between protesters and counter-protesters. Some participants demanded accountability for the massacres, while others, aligned with the Islamist-led government, chanted in favor of establishing a Sunni state.
Eyewitness accounts from the affected areas describe entire families being executed, homes burned, and bodies left in the streets. A resident of Baniyas told Ynet on Sunday morning that gunmen from the Shaheen Brigades, a drone unit previously used by Syrian rebels, had attacked Alawite villages. “They’re targeting the villages, burning homes, and killing civilians,” he said.
Many Alawites have fled their homes, some seeking refuge at the Russian military base in Hmeimim. Others have attempted to escape to Lebanon, with displaced individuals calling for international intervention. “We are refugees without a homeland,” said Jafar Ali, a 32-year-old Alawite who fled the violence. “We need countries to open humanitarian migration channels for Alawites.”
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