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At least 311 Alawite civilians have been killed in Syria over the past two days in what appears to be a series of retaliatory attacks by the country’s new government and allied forces, according to activists and monitoring groups. The violence underscores Syria’s ongoing instability, three months after the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad.
The bloodshed began Thursday when gunmen, identified by the new regime as loyalists of Assad’s ousted government, ambushed government forces near the coastal city of Jableh in Syria’s Latakia province.
The area, home to a predominantly Alawite population that makes up about 9% of Syria’s citizens, was a stronghold of the previous ruling elite before Assad’s removal. Former regime loyalists, including ex-military personnel, remain active in Syria’s coastal areas and are suspected of carrying out recent attacks against the country’s new security forces.
The ambush killed at least 50 members of the new government’s forces. In response, pro-government fighters stormed the villages of Shar, Mukhtariya, and Al-Fakh, killing civilians in apparent revenge attacks. “They killed every man they saw,” said Rami Abdul Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict.
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The group reported that women were spared in the attacks. Pro-government demonstrations were held in regime strongholds in Damascus and Aleppo, where supporters waved the flag of Syria’s new leadership.
The violence has raised concerns that Syria could descend into further chaos. A source in Iraq’s pro-Iranian militias told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese news network Al-Akhbar that the situation marked “the beginning of chaos.” “The struggle for influence—Turkey’s attempts to assert control on one side, versus U.S. and Israeli-backed efforts on the other—will lead Syria into difficult times and endless challenges,” the source said. He denied any Iranian involvement in the violence but warned that instability in Syria could spill into neighboring Iraq.
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Defense Minister Israel Katz's video
Among the Alawite casualties were dozens of fighters, but most were civilians, according to activists. Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday shared a graphic, unfiltered video on X, formerly Twitter, showing the bodies of executed men, some with their pants pulled down. His office said his comments came “in light of the massacre carried out by [Ahmad al-]Jolani’s forces against Alawites in Syria,” referring to Syria’s new leader. Other disturbing footage from Syria appeared to show bodies being dragged behind vehicles, armed men forcing captives to crawl on all fours while barking, and summary executions.
The violence has sparked strong reactions across the Muslim world, with regional powers taking opposing positions. The United Arab Emirates, which supports Syria’s new government, condemned “the attacks against Syrian security forces” and reaffirmed its commitment to “Syria’s stability, sovereignty over all its territory, and efforts to achieve peace, security, and stability.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, whose government backed Assad, blamed the new Syrian leadership for the unrest. “The new rulers in Syria are responsible for the security of all Syrians. The instability there serves Israel’s interests and allows terrorist organizations and extremist militias to exploit the situation,” he said.
A prominent Alawite figure from the coastal city of Baniyas told Ynet that conditions remain dire. He accused forces loyal to Syria’s new president Ahmad al-Sharaa of forcibly expelling Alawites from their homes and carrying out killings in the streets.
“Many are now homeless, hiding in forests, while bodies remain scattered in the open. No one can retrieve or bury them,” he said. “Even the wounded are not allowed to enter hospitals. Armed groups are moving toward the coast, threatening to kill Alawites.” The source said he had reached out to Israel for assistance, asking it to intervene to protect Alawite civilians, who had been Syria’s ruling minority until Assad’s fall.