A member of the new Syrian security forces opened fire in Sanamayn, in the southern province of Daraa, during a large-scale military operation on March 5, 2025. (Credit: Bakr Alkasem/AFP)
Syria is experiencing the deadliest violence since the Assad regime was overthrown on Dec. 8. The human toll of the sudden escalation has surged rapidly, with hundreds of people killed in four days of fighting between government forces and fighters loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad. The overwhelming majority of the reportedly over 1,000 people killed are civilians.Unrest has shaken Syria's coastal region and threatens to plunge Syria back into chaos just months after the end of 50 years of bloody Assad rule, and as the new authorities' position remains fragile.What happened?• The violence erupted Thursday evening when pro-Assad militia groups launched a coordinated attack, ambushing dozens of Syrian government forces positions and checkpoints in the Jableh region south of Latakia. More than 100 members of the new security...
Syria is experiencing the deadliest violence since the Assad regime was overthrown on Dec. 8. The human toll of the sudden escalation has surged rapidly, with hundreds of people killed in four days of fighting between government forces and fighters loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad. The overwhelming majority of the reportedly over 1,000 people killed are civilians.Unrest has shaken Syria's coastal region and threatens to plunge Syria back into chaos just months after the end of 50 years of bloody Assad rule, and as the new authorities' position remains fragile.What happened?• The violence erupted Thursday evening when pro-Assad militia groups launched a coordinated attack, ambushing dozens of Syrian government forces positions and checkpoints in the Jableh region south of Latakia. More than 100 members of the new...