A military convoy leaving Aleppo to head towards the Latakia region, in western Syria, on March 7, 2025. (Credit: Mahmoud Hassano/Reuters)
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Saturday that more than 300 Alawite civilians have been killed since Thursday in clashes with Syrian security forces and allied groups. These groups are engaged in violent confrontations with supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
The violence marks the first large-scale incidents since the Dec. 8 takeover of Syria’s government by a rebel coalition led by the radical Sunni Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Tensions erupted on Thursday after several days of unrest in the Latakia region, a stronghold of the Alawite Muslim minority, from which the Assad family hails.
The SOHR, based in the UK and with an extensive network of sources in Syria, revised its death toll, stating that at least 340 Alawite civilians, including women and children, have been killed by security forces and allied groups in the coastal area and mountains near Latakia. The group reported that these deaths were often the result of “executions on sectarian or regional bases,” along with “looting of homes and property.”
The death toll in western Syria has now reached at least 553, including 93 members of security forces and allied groups, and 120 fighters loyal to Assad, according to the SOHR.
“Return to relative calm”
The SOHR reported a “return to relative calm” in the region on Saturday, although security forces continued to “sweep areas where armed men are entrenched,” deploying reinforcements.
Early Saturday, the official Syrian news agency SANA reported that security forces had repelled an attack by “remnants of the fallen regime” targeting the national hospital in Latakia.
Restoring security remains the primary challenge for Syria’s new government after over 13 years of civil war.
Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa called Friday for Alawite insurgents to “lay down their arms before it’s too late.” He added, “We will continue to work toward monopolizing arms in the hands of the state.”
The escalation began Thursday night when Assad loyalists attacked security forces in the coastal town of Jableh. Security forces sent reinforcements the next day and launched major sweep operations in the region.
Reports of abuses
Reports of abuses against Alawite civilians have been circulating on social media, particularly on Facebook, from victims’ families or friends. One activist reported that her mother and siblings had been “massacred in their home.” Residents of Banyas in the Tartous province issued urgent calls for intervention to protect them.
The SOHR and activists published videos Friday showing dozens of civilian-clad bodies piled in a courtyard, with women mourning nearby. In another video, men in military uniform ordered three people to crawl before shooting them at close range. AFP could not independently verify these images.
Meanwhile, a security source cited by SANA on Friday reported “isolated abuses” by “unorganized mobs” retaliating for the “assassination of several police and security members by men loyal to the former regime.” The source said efforts were underway to stop these abuses, which it said “do not represent the entire Syrian people.”
International calls for restraint
U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed being “deeply alarmed” by the situation and urged all parties to “exercise restraint.” This call was echoed by officials in Berlin and other regional capitals. Moscow, which has supported Assad’s regime, also called on Syrian leaders to “stop the bloodshed.”
Aron Lund, a senior fellow at the Century International think tank, noted that the surge of violence underscores the “fragility of the government.” He pointed out that much of the government’s authority now depends on radical jihadists who view Alawites as enemies of God. Since taking power, Sharaa has sought to reassure minorities and called on his forces to avoid sectarian violence. However, Lund noted that this directive is not always followed by all factions operating under his command, which include the “army and police.”