Syria's Sharaa forces kill hundreds of Alawite civilians: monitor

LATKIA,— More than 1,000 people have died in two days of intense fighting in Syria’s coastal region as Islamist security forces linked to Syria’s new rulers clashed with Alawite fighters and former regime loyalists, according to a war monitor on Saturday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 745 civilians, most of them Alawites, were among the dead, along with 125 members of Syria’s security forces and 148 fighters reportedly loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad.

Fighting erupted in the Alawite areas of Jableh, Baniyas, and surrounding villages, making it the bloodiest episode in Syria’s ongoing conflict in years, said Rami Abdulrahman, who heads the Britain-based war monitor. Among the casualties were women and children, he added.

The new ruling Islamist authority launched a security operation on Thursday, saying it was cracking down on a growing insurgency. The move followed deadly ambushes by militants linked to Assad’s deposed government.

A Syrian security official confirmed that dozens of security personnel had been killed in the clashes, which have escalated into a broader crackdown.

Henase Karim, a political analyst, told iKurd News that Arab television channels were engaging in selective reporting. “They are portraying this as a battle between Syria’s Sharra forces and Assad loyalists while ignoring the ethnic cleansing of Alawites,” she said.

“If the world remains silent about this cleansing, it will only encourage Sharaa to carry out even more horrific killings across the country.”

Security Forces Seal Off Coastal Region

Authorities have admitted that some violations took place but blamed them on undisciplined fighters and civilians acting outside official orders.

A source in the Islamist Defense Ministry told state media that roads leading to the coastal region had been closed to prevent further violence and restore order. Security forces have been deployed to major cities to reinforce stability.

The source added that an emergency oversight committee has been established to investigate reported abuses, with violators facing military trials.

There have been reports of mass executions, including dozens of Alawite men allegedly shot in a village. The scale of the violence has raised questions about the Islamist-led government’s ability to govern inclusively, an issue of concern to both Western and Arab countries.

Assad was removed from power in December after decades of rule marked by repression and civil war.

Sharaa Warns Against Excessive Force

Interim President Ahmed Sharaa, in a televised address on Friday, voiced support for the security operation but urged forces to act with restraint.

“We must not allow ourselves to be dragged into the excesses of our enemies,” he said.

Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, previously held ties to extremist groups, including al-Qaeda and ISIS, before founding al-Nusra Front, which later became Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

“If we lose sight of our principles, we become no different from those we oppose,” he added, calling for fair treatment of civilians and captives.

On Saturday, social media was flooded with images and obituaries for those killed in the coastal violence, with grieving families sharing tributes online.

Abdulrahman, who has tracked Syria’s conflict for over a decade, described the attacks as “sectarian massacres aimed at displacing the Alawite community” rather than a conventional military confrontation.

The Defense Ministry and internal security forces said they were working to restore calm and prevent further civilian casualties.

Thousands Flee Violence

Residents reported that thousands of Alawites and Christians have fled their homes since Thursday, fearing further bloodshed. Hundreds, including women, children, and the elderly, have sought refuge at the Russian military base in Hmeimim, Latakia, according to video footage and local sources.

Witnesses said looting, killings, and the burning of homes continued overnight in Baniyas and nearby areas.

Syria’s transitional authorities are struggling to maintain security amid tensions across the country. Clashes in the Alawite coastal region, stalled talks with Kurdish leaders in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), and mounting unrest in Druze-majority areas have added to the government’s challenges.

The Alawite minority, which comprises roughly 9% of Syria’s population, held influential positions in Assad’s military and security forces for decades. Many fear they are now being targeted in retaliation for the former regime’s brutal rule.

Aron Lund, a senior fellow at the Century International think tank, called the latest violence “a warning sign for the country’s stability.”

Kurdish Negotiations and Regional Tensions

General Mazloum Abdi, the commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syrian Kurdistan (Rojava), 2025. Photo: AFP

In northern and northeastern Syria, a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration continues to operate, with its forces refusing to surrender their weapons.

Sharaa’s Islamist administration has demanded that all armed groups integrate into a unified national military and has rejected Kurdish autonomy.

Talks between Kurdish leaders and the government have so far failed to produce an agreement, while Turkish-backed Syrian Islamist mercenary fighters have clashed with Kurdish forces since November.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which played a key role in the fight against ISIS, controls large swathes of oil-rich land.

The commander of the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led SDF in Syrian Kurdistan has called for a secular, decentralized government in Syria.

“As long as U.S. forces remain in the northeast, the SDF will not disarm,” political analyst Fabrice Balanche told AFP. He said the Kurds would accept Syrian civil administration in their territories but strongly oppose any military presence from HTS fighters under Sharaa’s command.

“The Kurds want autonomy over governance,” Balanche added.

Druze Unrest and Israeli Intervention

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, December 3, 2024. Photo: Israeli PM Press Office

Syria’s Druze minority, which follows an offshoot of Shiite Islam, makes up around 3% of the population and is mostly concentrated in Sweida province.

Two major Druze militias have indicated they are willing to join a national army, but they have yet to lay down their weapons.

Regional tensions have been further complicated by Israeli involvement. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the Syrian administration against harming the Druze population, which also has communities in Lebanon, Israel, and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the full demilitarization of southern Syria. Israeli forces have conducted airstrikes in Syria and have reportedly moved into a UN-monitored buffer zone along the Golan Heights.

Sharaa condemned the Israeli statement and demanded Israel withdraw from Syrian territory.

(With files from Reuters | AFP | Agencies)