Syrians protest against the killing of civilians – mostly Alawites – and members of the new security forces, following clashes between fighters loyal to the former regime and troops of the interim government, in Damascus, March 9, 2025. (Credit: Khalil Achaoui/Reuters)
"If the attacks on Alawites go unpunished, the Kurds will be next — maybe the Druze too,” said Aras Youssef, who hails from the Kurdish-majority Afrin in northern Syria. "The Kurdish people, in general, feel sympathy for the Alawites because they know that those responsible for the recent massacres are the same ones who committed crimes against the Kurds of Afrin.”He said, recalling the mass exodus of Kurds from the city in 2018, after it was seized by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) forces with Ankara’s support.While the Kurds were not directly targeted in the clashes along Syria’s coast, the bloodshed reignited fears among the country’s minorities, who the new authorities in Damascus pledged to protect.State authorities announced on Monday the end of the military campaign along Syria’s coast, declaring that they had...
"If the attacks on Alawites go unpunished, the Kurds will be next — maybe the Druze too,” said Aras Youssef, who hails from the Kurdish-majority Afrin in northern Syria. "The Kurdish people, in general, feel sympathy for the Alawites because they know that those responsible for the recent massacres are the same ones who committed crimes against the Kurds of Afrin.”He said, recalling the mass exodus of Kurds from the city in 2018, after it was seized by Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) forces with Ankara’s support.While the Kurds were not directly targeted in the clashes along Syria’s coast, the bloodshed reignited fears among the country’s minorities, who the new authorities in Damascus pledged to protect.State authorities announced on Monday the end of the military campaign along Syria’s coast, declaring...