Syria’s interim leader has urged for national unity as violent clashes and revenge killings continue in coastal provinces that were strongholds of Bashar al-Assad. Hundreds of people have fled Latakia, Tartus, and Banias amid reports of looting and mass executions. Witnesses have described gruesome scenes in Hai Al Kusour, an Alawite-majority neighborhood in Banias, where bodies are reportedly scattered in the streets.
According to residents, the violence erupted after Assad loyalists ambushed security forces in Latakia and Jableh, killing dozens. In response, armed groups stormed Alawite areas, carrying out mass killings, including those of women and children. Ayman Fares, a local resident, said he survived only because he had been imprisoned last year for criticizing Assad. Islamist-led forces freed him after Assad’s government fell in December 2024. Fighters looted his home, taking his vehicles and valuables, but spared his life.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that foreign fighters, possibly from Uzbekistan or Chechnya, participated in the attacks, along with some Syrian civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 973 civilians have died in the violence.
Desperate and fearing for their lives, Alawites have been pleading for protection from across the world. A large gathering at a Russian base saw a sit-in protest with Alawites asking for Russian protection.
Some Sunni Muslims sheltered Alawite families fleeing the violence, emphasizing that communities had previously coexisted peacefully. However, the killings have deepened sectarian divisions. Reports of protests consisting of Syrians of all backgrounds, including Sunnis, Druze, Alawites, and Christians protesting against the massacre of minority civilians, emerged.
In the aftermath, Ghiath Dallah, a former Assad brigadier general, announced the formation of the Military Council for the Liberation of Syria, signaling continued resistance against the interim government. Some former regime officers who refused to disarm are reportedly organizing in the mountains.
International condemnation has followed the violence. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has called for an immediate end to civilian killings. Iran’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the massacres, expressing concern over sectarian targeting. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also denounced the attacks, urging Syria’s interim authorities to prosecute those responsible for war crimes.
The observers warn that instability in Syria could escalate, especially given the presence of foreign fighters and sectarian tensions. The interim leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, now faces the challenge of restoring order while ensuring justice for past atrocities. Calls have been made for a new constitution that guarantees the rights of all Syrians, regardless of sectarian affiliation.
