- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports over 1,383 civilians killed in recent massacres on Syria’s coast.
- Videos circulating on social media show mass graves and unarmed civilians, including women and children, being executed.
- Syria’s de facto President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda commander, admits the violence was seen as an “opportunity for revenge.”
- Thousands of Alawite Muslims, a religious minority, have fled to Lebanon amid the ongoing violence.
- Foreign fighters and Syrian security forces are implicated in the killings, with evidence captured on video by the perpetrators themselves.
The Syrian coast has become a blood-soaked battleground as the civilian death toll from government-led massacres has surged past 1,300, with bodies still being discovered in mass graves and scattered across villages. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based war monitor, reported on March 12 that the killings, primarily targeting the Alawite Muslim minority, have reached a staggering 1,383 victims. The numbers are expected to rise as more bodies are uncovered.
The massacres, carried out by forces aligned with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led government, have been described as systematic and brutal. Videos circulating on social media show dozens of bodies strewn across the ground, with some being buried in mass graves in villages like Sanubir in the Jableh countryside. The majority of the victims are Alawites, a religious minority to which former President Bashar al-Assad belongs.
A history of hatred and revenge
The violence erupted after heavy clashes between security forces and cells affiliated with the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) last week. What followed was a wave of organized attacks by HTS-aligned factions, including foreign fighters from Chechnya, Uzbekistan, and China, who were integrated into Syria’s new security forces after Sharaa took power in December. These groups went door to door, executing unarmed civilians and looting homes.
Syria’s de facto President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda commander, addressed the massacres in an interview with Reuters, admitting that the violence was seen as an “opportunity for revenge” stemming from 14 years of civil war. “Syria is a state of law. The law will take its course on all,” Sharaa claimed, though he declined to confirm whether his own security forces were involved.
Local sources, however, have no such doubts. Speaking to The Cradle, a source stated, “It’s clear that official Syrian security forces, as well as affiliated armed factions, took part.” Videos show uniformed members of the General Security and Ministry of Defense participating in the killings. “The shocking thing is that in the videos of the killing we’ve seen, they are being filmed by themselves, not other people. It’s the people who are doing the killing who are filming,” the source added.
Fleeing for survival
The massacres have sparked a mass exodus of Alawite Muslims, with thousands crossing the border into north Lebanon in recent days. Families are fleeing in fear for their lives, leaving behind homes and communities that have been decimated by the violence. The Alawite minority, long associated with the Assad regime, has become a target for revenge attacks, further fracturing Syria’s already fragile social fabric.
Sharaa’s claims of launching an investigation into the massacres ring hollow to many observers. His refusal to acknowledge the involvement of his own forces, coupled with his history as a former Al-Qaeda commander, raises serious questions about his commitment to justice. “We fought to defend the oppressed, and we won’t accept that any blood be shed unjustly or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us,” Sharaa told Reuters. Yet, the evidence suggests that those closest to him may be among the perpetrators.
The international community has remained largely silent, with no significant condemnation or action taken to address the atrocities. The lack of accountability has allowed the cycle of violence to continue, with civilians paying the ultimate price.
As the death toll climbs and the world looks away, one must ask: How many more must die before the international community takes meaningful action? The massacres on Syria’s coast are not just a tragedy for the Alawite minority; they are a stark reminder of the human cost of unchecked power and the dangers of allowing hatred to fester.
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