The new authorities in Syria have declared the conclusion of an operation against supporters of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, following a report from a war monitor that indicated over 1,000 civilians have died in the most severe violence experienced since his removal from power.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the vast majority of the 1,068 civilians reported killed since Thursday were members of the Alawite minority, executed by security forces or affiliated groups.
The outbreak of violence within the coastal stronghold of the Alawite community, to which the deposed president belongs, poses a significant threat to the country’s fragile transition after decades of oppressive rule by the Assad family.
On Monday, the authorities announced the end of their extensive “military operation” aimed at addressing security threats and “regime remnants” in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, as stated by defence ministry spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani.
“Syria… will not permit any foreign powers or domestic factions to plunge it into chaos or civil war,” Mr. Sharaa proclaimed in his address.
He also committed to “holding accountable, rigorously and without mercy, anyone who participated in the massacre of civilians… or who exceeded the authorities of the state.”
Ahmed al-Sharaa’s office has indicated that an independent committee is being established to investigate the clashes.
The clashes erupted in the region on Thursday when armed members loyal to the deposed president attacked Syria’s new security forces.
The violence has resulted in the deaths of 231 security personnel and 250 pro-Assad fighters, as reported by the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of informants within Syria. The authorities have not disclosed any casualty numbers.
A resident in Jableh, Latakia province, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, spoke to AFP in distress about being terrorized by armed groups that have seized control of the town.
“More than 50 people from among my family and friends have been killed. They used bulldozers to gather the bodies and buried them in mass graves.”
Syria’s security forces on the coastline in the western city of Latakia
‘Extreme fear’
In some areas, residents have cautiously begun to venture outside, but many remain too fearful to leave their homes after dark and have expressed concerns about a lack of essential supplies.
“Today, the situation in Latakia is slightly calmer; people are out and about after five days filled with anxiety and extreme fear,” said Farah, a 22-year-old university student who provided only her first name.
However, with the situation still described as “very tense,” she remarked that “after six o’clock, you don’t see anyone in the streets… the neighborhood becomes like a ghost town.”
An AFP journalist noted that the road between Latakia and Jableh further south was mostly deserted, with only military vehicles and ambulances passing through.
Vehicles damaged during the clashes were scattered along the sides of the road.
In addition to the mass killings of Alawites, there have also been reports of Christians being caught in the violence.
During a sermon in Damascus on Sunday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, John X, stated that “many innocent Christians were also killed” alongside Alawites.
Obituaries for several members of the small Christian community residing on the coast have circulated on social media, with seven confirmed deaths reported by AFP.
“We are all victims, from all sects… I believe that Christians in the area, like other groups and religions, are living in fear,” said Michel Khoury, a 42-year-old Christian lawyer in Latakia.
“We are all on a sinking ship, and no one will protect us but ourselves.”
The Syrian presidency has announced the establishment of an “independent committee” to “investigate civilian violations and identify those responsible.”
Amnesty International urged the authorities on Monday to “allow independent national and international investigators access to Syria, including its coastal regions, for their own fact-finding missions.”
‘Not in control’
President Sharaa—whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has its origins in the Syrian faction of the jihadist network Al-Qaeda—has vowed to safeguard Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities since overthrowing Assad.
HTS is still designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and several other nations.
Analysts suggest that the recent violence raises doubts about the new authorities’ capability to govern and rebuild a nation ravaged by 13 years of civil war.
“The militia disorder evident in the Alawite coastal cities indicates… that the new Syrian army is not in command,” stated Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma.
The violence “will obstruct Ahmed al-Sharaa’s attempts to consolidate his power and persuade the international community that he is in control,” Mr. Landis added.
Iran, a vital supporter of Assad, on Monday dismissed claims of Tehran’s involvement in the latest unrest.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei labeled the accusations in media reports, including those from the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel, as “utterly ridiculous.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to continue offering “every form of support for our neighbor Syria to recover… and achieve peace among all its ethnic and sectarian groups.”
