Months after Bashar al-Assad was removed from power, fighting in Syria has grown much worse. Supporters of the new Islamist leaders are attacking those loyal to Assad, who mostly belong to the Alawite community. A recent report states that over 1,000 people, many of them civilians, have died in just four days of fighting in Assad’s stronghold near the coast.
Most of the casualties are from the Alawite community, which lives mainly in coastal cities like Latakia and Tartous. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that around 1,000 people died in two days of clashes, including 745 civilians and some security forces and fighters allied with Assad.
Rami Abdulrahman, who heads the observatory, said these deaths are among the most significant since a chemical attack by Assad’s forces killed about 1,400 people in 2013. Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the interim president now leading the Sunni Islamist government, is calling for justice for those harming civilians or treating prisoners poorly.
The recent violence has caused major destruction in several towns. Sunni militants have carried out many revenge killings against Alawites, regardless of whether they were involved in the fighting.
Who Are the Alawites?
Alawites are a branch of Shia Islam and were historically in power under Assad’s rule, even though most of Syria’s population is Sunni. Attacks against Alawites have risen since Assad’s ousting, even as the interim president pledged an inclusive government for all people.
Despite this promise, violence has surged, with the government blaming “individual actions” for the chaos. A Kurdish group accused Turkish-backed Islamist forces of serious crimes against Alawites. The killings reportedly began after a suspect was arrested in an Alawite area, though calm returned somewhat by Saturday.
The interim president has set up a committee to look into the violence from both sides. Graphic videos showing brutal attacks have circulated online. Meanwhile, Alawite gunmen briefly took control of Qardaha, Assad’s hometown, overwhelming security forces, but the government quickly regained control.
Authorities are urging an end to this sectarian violence, but clashes continue, leading to many civilian deaths.
