| 2025 massacres of Syrian Alawites | |
|---|---|
| Part of theWestern Syria clashes and theMarch 2025 Western Syria clashes during theSyrian civil war | |
 Map of theSyrian Coastal Mountain Range, which is home to the Alawites | |
| Location | Latakia,Tartus,Hama andHoms Governorates,Syria |
| Date | 6–27 March 2025 (main phase) (3 weeks) March 2025–present (8 months) |
| Target | Alawite civilians |
Attack type | Collective punishment,extrajudicial killings,sectarian violence,[1]massacre, kidnappings |
| Deaths | Until 23 February: 151 in sectarian killings, 154 in other retaliatory killings (perSOHR)[2] From 6 March:
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| Victims | Thousands of Alawites andChristiansdisplaced[9][10] |
| Perpetrators |
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| Motive |  Syrian Armed Forces and associated parties:
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Personal
Political offices
President of Syria Incumbent
Governments  | ||
A series of mass killings and massacres againstAlawites occurred inSyria from 6 March 2025 to 17 March 2025, with a resurgence in early April. They were part of communal and sectarian violence by fighters aligned with theSyrian caretaker government (including locally mobilised civilians,Syrian National Army (SNA) militias andSaraya Ansar al-Sunnah), in addition to armed remnants of the formerAssad regime against government forces. The typical pattern of the attacks involved gunmen showing up at civilians' doors, interrogating them by asking whether they are Alawite or Sunni, and then targeting and killing them based solely on their response. The events followedlarge-scale attacks by pro-Assad insurgents on 6 March as well as the ongoingclashes in Western Syria in theSyrian civil war.
As of 17 March 2025, the UK-based independent monitoring group[23]Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported that 1,084 people, including civilians and fighters, were killed in the clashes since 6 March. According to their documentation, at least 639 people, including civilians and disarmed combatants have been killed by forces aligned with the Syrian transitional government. Armed remnants of the former Assad regime were also responsible for the deaths of at least 231 civilians.[24] The UK-basedSyrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 1,614 civilians were killed by armed militias supporting theSyrian government between 6 March 2025 and 12 March 2025.[25]
Especially deadly massacres began in early March 2025 inLatakia Governorate, where, according to the SOHR, Syrian security forces killed hundreds of civilians over the span of two days, including 52 Alawite individuals in the towns ofAl-Mukhtariya andAl-Shir in rural Latakia alone. These events took place during a period of heightened tensions andarmed clashes between Syrian transitional government forces and militants that are loyal to formerSyrian PresidentBashar al-Assad, as described by Syrian authorities. Despite assurances by new government officials that minorities would be safe in the new Syria, Alawite communities have been subject to a number of massacres since December 2024.
Numerous perpetrators were suspected, including the Transitional Government'sGeneral Security Service[12][26]: 44, 49, 50 and other former-HTS units and Turkish-backed militias such as theSultan Suleiman Shah Division.[12][26]: 31, 35 In March 2025, Syrian presidentAhmed al-Sharaa denied responsibility for the attacks. In his speech, al-Sharaa said that "remnants of the former regime" had no choice but to surrender immediately as he vowed to hold accountable "anyone involved in civilian bloodshed".[27] He later promised to punish the perpetrators, saying that Assad loyalists and associated foreign powers committed the killings with the aim of destabilizing the Syrian state and restarting the civil war.[21] In July 2025, an investigative committee submitted two lists of suspects to courts and announced its findings in a press conference.[28] The committee's press conference did not attribute any responsibility for the massacres to Transitional Government forces.[29]
On 10 March 2025, the Syrian government announced the end of counter-insurgency operations after expelling pro-Assad insurgents from "vital centres" and re-establishing control over most of the roadways in the coastal region.[30][31] Despite al-Sharaa's statements, sectarian killings and kidnappings continue in Syria as of late 2025, with many cases remaining without charges for the perpetrators.[32]
Coastal Syria, and especially theLatakia Governorate, has historically served as the heartland ofSyria'sAlawite community, a minority religious group which is considered an offshoot or a sect ofShia Islam, which comprises around 11% of the entire Syrian population. TheAssad family, which ruled Syria for decades, belonged to this religious minority, giving a small number of its members positions within the regime (especially those members who were closely tied to the Assad family and those members who served in the loyalistShabiha militias and were involved inorganised crime such as theCaptagon trade), while it was suppressing dissent in the community and it was also portraying itself as the defender of minorities against theSunni Muslim majority. However, the Assad government underBashar had increasingly become unpopular among Alawites due to its corruption and the economic collapse.[33][34][35]
Following thefall of Assad in December 2024, Alawi strongholdQardaha (the Assad family hometown[36]) was "the first place the opposition factions headed for, just 24 hours afterentering Damascus. An opposition delegation met with prominent Alawite figures there and returned with a statement of support from them," according toAl-Araby Al-Jadeed.[35]
After the establishment of a transitional government under then-Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) emirAhmed al-Sharaa, a "mosaic" of new security forces was installed across the region by the new government, including: the more disciplined and professional General Security units of the formerSyrian Salvation Government's HTS-controlled Ministry of Interior in the most heavily minority-dominated areas such as Latakia andJableh in Latakia governorate;Military Operations Command units (including someIslamist foreign fighters) which were pulled out of the cities to rural areas in late December due to their lack of restraint, one unit ofFursan Sharqiyah fighters affiliated to the Turkish-backed SNA, deployed in Tartous; and local factions returning to hometowns from which they had been displaced during thecivil war, e.g. inSalamiyah,Talkalakh,Qusayr, andHoms city.[37] Servicemen from Assad's armed forces, including volunteers and conscripts, returned to their hometowns, making settlements with the new security services to gain civilian status.[38]
In mid-December, HTS sources stated that armed criminals who were connected to the old regime were involved in looting and lawlessness in the coastal region. HTS units were ambushed by Assad loyalist militias. The HTS-led security forces launched a campaign to disarm these groups and to get temporary IDs affording them protection as civilians.[39]
There were demonstrations in support of the old regime on 25 December, and sectarian slogans were posted by both sides, in Latakia in the early days after the fall of Assad, as well as reports ofdisinformation fuelling sectarian tensions.[35][37][40] The same day, there were ex-regime militias ambushed security forces in the Tartous countryside, to which HTS special forces responded with a three-day operation, focusing onKhirbet Maazah (home to many former regime loyalists), which involved considerable use of force including shoot-outs and alleged looting,[37] the first of a series ofclashes between government forces and pro-Assad loyalist holdouts, particularly in regions with significant Alawite populations.
On 17 February, al-Sharaa made a symbolic visit to Latakia as part of a national tour, meeting with local dignitaries from various sects.[41]
TheJerusalem Post reported that the new administration had been restructuring state apparatus through widespread dismissals of officials, many of whom came from the Alawite community. According to Alawite activists, members of their community had experienced targeted violence and persecution since Assad's fall, particularly in rural areas ofHoms and Latakia Governorates. ThePost said that, despite al-Sharaa's public commitment to inclusive governance, no formal meetings with senior Alawite representatives were reported, in contrast with the administration's documented meetings with leaders from other minority groups includingKurds,Christians, andDruze.[42] In addition, several reports of mass-distributed flyers filled withhate speech against Alawites alongside the filmed destruction and vandalization of Alawi religious shrines had been reported since December 2024.[43]
From January, theMiddle East Institute, the US-based NGOSyrian Justice and Accountability Centre, and theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitor formerly associated with the anti-Assad opposition but highly critical of the new government, reported several sectarian incidents, including some alleged massacres, in the western countryside ofHoms province, committed during security sweeps aiming to disarm former regime loyal militias.[37][45]
On 14 January 2025, the SOHR reported that Alawite civilians ofTasnin located in the Homs countryside were targeted by gunmen who said they are part of theMilitary Operations Command. According to SOHR, the gunmen launched a widespread arrest operation towards the village from early morning to the afternoon of 16 January. Several suspects resisted the arrest attempts. During the operation, the attackers set seven houses on fire and murdered six civilians. Multiple villagers and elders in Tasnin and nearby settlements attempted to report the massacre to Syrian government police and security forces, but did not receive any response mentioning the violence.[46]
On 23 January 2025, the Military Operations Command launched a large-scale security campaign in collaboration with local gunmen in the villages of al-Hamam, al-Ghozaylah, al-Gharbiyah and Fahel in the countryside west of Homs. During the operation, four civilians wereextrajudicially killed, ten civilians were injured, and five others were arrested.[47] The SOHR claimed that government-aligned gunmen abused and assaulted other villagers, forcing several to bark and bray like animals, and destroyed several village tombstones.[48]
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On Tuesday 4 March, according to state media, security forces launched a campaign against Assad loyalist militias in the Daatour neighbourhood of Latakia city after an ambush by "members of the remnants of Assad militias" killed two security personnel.[49] Ali Akbar Velayati, an international affairs advisor toIran's supreme leader, said a civil war could break out in Syria at any moment, and that Iran had evidence "indicating the beginnings of the state's disintegration."[50][51]
There were several fires in forested areas of Latakia, with the transitional government blaming seventeen on sabotage acts by "remnants" of the Assad regime.[52]
Violence significantly escalated on Thursday 6 March, when intense armed confrontations broke out in Latakia Governorate betweenSyrian security personnel and armed groups loyal to the former president.[50] The fighting spread across several towns in the region predominantly inhabited by Alawites.[53]Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in international security atKing's College London, toldAl Jazeera English that this was part of an on-going co-ordinated insurgency by Assadist militias such asSyrian Popular Resistance (formed in December), designed to provoke sectarian conflict and "set Syria on a path to civil war".[54][55] Local civil rights activists described the perpetrators as former regime loyalists and former elements of the army, security services and forces allied with the Assad regime, and that the violence was well planned and co-ordinated.[50]
The violence initially concentrated around theJableh area but rapidly expanded to other locations. Armed remnants of the former Assad regime (reportedly including fighters loyal to former army GeneralSuheil al-Hassan) launched a series of coordinated attacks against security forces in the cities of Jableh,Baniyas and the surrounding areas.[56] Insurgents overran several positions.[50] According to SNHR, upwards of 75% of the city of Baniyas was captured by remnants of the former Assad regime in this assault.[17] SOHR said that 48 people were killed in clashes in Jableh. At least 10 members of the security forces were captured by pro-Assad gunmen in Qardaha, according toAl-Araby Al-Jadeed.[36] Reuters verified video of fighting between pro-Assad forces and security forces inHoms.[57]
The insurgency provoked widespread rage: there were street protests against the insurgency in traditionally anti-Assad neighbourhoods across Syria, calling for a response.[50] To quell the rebellion, Syrian interim government authorities sent in reinforcements to western Syria. including tanks and armoured vehicles.[36] The Syrian Minister of Defense mobilized government military forces to "break the back of the remnants of the regime and make them an example to anyone who dares to tamper with the country's security."[43] Latakia's Director of Public Security mobilized a full security response to the province.[43] The official Military Operations ManagementTelegram channel initially urged for popular participation in heading to coastal Syria to "support our brothers", before stating that additional support was no longer needed.[43]
At the same time, theAlawite Islamic Council in Syria and the Diaspora called on Alawites to "take to the streets and demonstrate [against the new government] in coastal cities and towns" and the Alawite Council in Latakia called on Russia to "immediately and urgently intervene to protect the Syrian people, especially the Alawite sect, from the threat of genocide by terrorist organizations."[50]
Thousands of fighters from Islamist groups, including pro-Turkish factions from theFree Syrian Army, arrived fromIdlib,Aleppo, andDeir ez-Zor to coastal Syria with many local residents joining. Several mosques broadcast calls tojihad, according toLe Monde reporters.[13][58] Multiple videos recorded by armed men showed largeconvoys of militants moving towards Tartus and Latakia. A narrator in one video (whichCNN was unable to geolocate) stated: "It was the battle for liberation. Now it's a battle for purification [of Syria]," while a man in military gear stated, "To the Alawites, we're coming to slaughter you and your fathers" and "we will show you the [strength] of the Sunnis."[58]
According to SOHR, at least 35 pro-government fighters and 32 pro-Assad gunmen died in the violence, while four civilians were also killed.[36]
The government imposed a 24-hour curfew in the coastal cities in the evening and began a search for militants following the violence.[36]
Beginning at approximately 8:00 a.m.AST on 7 March 2025, armed groups entered Alawite neighborhoods inBaniyas, a multi-faith coastal town inTartus Governorate. According to eyewitness accounts provided toLe Monde, these groups includedSyrian Ministry of Defense andGeneral Security Service members from nearby regions in conjunction with fighters described as "foreigners", including individuals of purportedTurkmen andChechen origin. Multiple witnesses described systematic targeting of Alawite residents, with men being executed on rooftops and in streets.[13][59][60] SOHR reported sixty people killed inBaniyas, including ten women and five children, marking one of the largest single massacres documented on 7 March.[60]
General Security entered the village ofBeit Ana in search of wanted individuals but were attacked, after which ambulances transporting the dead and wounded security forces were also attacked.[61] State media reported that militias loyal to Assad had opened fire on "members and equipment of the defence ministry" near Beit Ana, killing one security force member and wounding two. SOHR reported that in response there were "strikes launched by Syrian helicopters on armed men in the village of Beit Ana and the surrounding forests, coinciding with artillery strikes on a neighbouring village".[49]
Deutsche Welle reported that executions were carried out by fighters on both sides.[57] Altogether, theSyrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR, described byThe Guardian as "a human rights monitor considered independent and credible") said 125 civilians were killed over 6–7 March in the attacks, as well as 100 Syrian security forces and 15 civilians killed by Assadist groups.[20][62] By the early hours of 8 March, SOHR said that thirty-eight civilians in Al-Mukhtariya had been killed, as well as twenty-four civilians in Al-Shir, twenty-two inQurfays, seven in theAl-Haffah district, seven in Beit Ana andDweir Baabda in theJableh countryside, and two inYahmur in theTartus countryside, with SOHR attributing these to members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense and General Security Service forces firing squads. SOHR also reported that an Alawitesheikh, Shaaban Mansour, and his son were killed by a firing squad in a field execution inSalhab,Hama Governorate, by government security forces.[60] Combined with the earlier report of sixty civilians killed in Baniyas, the SOHR claimed that at least 162 civilians were killed across five separate massacres on 7 March alone.[63][64] Reports of widespread looting of businesses and residences by unidentified individuals taking advantage of the ongoing lack of security were noted by theOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.[65]
Al Jazeera English reported that its photographer Riad al-Hussein was wounded in the clashes but that his condition was stable.[49]
SNHR attributed the abuses by government-aligned fighters to "factions from the North" (i.e. SNA units), and civilians who took up arms in revenge attacks, and called for a full investigation as well as compensation to victims' families.[61]
Syrian authorities implemented curfews in the citiesTartus andLatakia along the Syrian coast, and in the city of Homs.[42][64] Authorities blamed widespread power outages on "sabotage".[64] President al-Sharaa commented on the violence in coastal provinces, stating that the era of forgiveness and amnesty had ended and the era of "purification" and "liberation" had begun, while urging security forces to protect civilians.[43] Syria's interior ministry said some "individual violations" were by civilians and militias carrying out reprisals for attacks by Assadist groups. The ministry said "We are working to put a stop to these violations that do not represent the Syrian people as a whole."[20] The official Telegram channel for theMilitary Operations Command announced that roughly a half million million fighters were sent to the region to break the "Nusayri rebellion", with Nusayri being used as aderogatory term against Alawites.[43]
The New Arab said that reports suggested clashes were ongoing in multiple locations in the coastal region on the morning of the 7th, with government forces battling to retake areas around Latakia and the city ofQardaha.[36]
Monitoring groups, including the SOHR, reported that security forces had conducted executions of fifty-two Alawite men in the Latakia countryside. The organization based its findings onvideo evidence it said it had authenticated alongside testimonies collected from relatives of the victims. It said these killings occurred in the specific locations ofAl-Shir,Al-Mukhtariya, andAl-Haffah.[66] According to SOHR directorRami Abdul Rahman, gunmen killed 69 men in these villages while sparing women and children,[67] but SOHR also told AFP tht thirteen women and five children were killed.[59] SNHR also said about 40 civilians were executed together in al-Mukhtariya, though a later Reuters study found that 157 people were killed in the village, or a quarter of the population.[12]The Guardian said it was unable to independently verify the video,[20] but CNN was able to geolocate one in Al Mukhtareyah.[58] Residents of Sanobar in Latakia Governorate reported that militants shot the town's mayor and three sons in front of their mother, before threatening to kill one of the son's daughters unless his wife gave them their gold.[68][69] Reuters reported that location-verified imagery from the town showed approximately 20 men, many visibly bloodied, lying alongside one another along a roadside in the town center.[70] Multiple sources released footage showing deceased individuals in civilian attire collected in a residential courtyard, with blood visible in the vicinity and women audiblymourning. Additional video evidence reportedly showed armed individuals in military uniforms directing three people to move on the ground before shooting them at close range. The SOHR distributed these recordings, as did local activists;AFP said it was unable to verify them.[66] Two videos showing a car dragging a body in Latakia were verified by theBBC.[59] Residents of Qardaha reported heavymachine gun fire in residential areas, preventing them from leaving their homes due to intense fighting.[67] People gathered outside aRussian air base nearJableh seeking protection.[67]
There were reports from within the Alawite community that Alawites who had opposed the Assad regime in the past were also murdered by Syrian Sunni militia members, as well as Chechen and Turkmen fighters, insectarian attacks, including a 72-year-old who had allegedly been imprisoned previously for opposing the Assad regime in the 1980s.[13][71]
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SOHR reported what they said was testimony of a survivor of massacres committed in two villages of al-Fuqara in the countryside ofQardaha reported on the "sectarian cleansing" of the villages, alleging the killing of over 150 unarmed men and youth between the ages of 13 and 85. He claimed that the villages, predominantly inhabited by Alawite residents, had welcomed the new Syrian government following the fall of Assad's regime. He said that violence began on 6 March at approximately 6:00 p.m., when security personnel positioned at acheckpoint on the main road began firing randomly toward the villages, described as an attempt to provoke residents into returning fire to provide justification for a military-style intervention. He said villagers remained in their homes in fear and did not retaliate with any gunfire.[72]
He said that in the early morning hours of 7 March, substantial military convoys arrived from various Syrian provinces. By 5:00 a.m., he said he estimated 4,000 armed individuals equipped withautomatic weapons, including Kalashnikov rifles, had assembled near the village entrance. These forces were supported byvans mounted withmachine guns. At approximately 6:00 a.m., he said, the armed groups initiated heavy gunfire directed at residential structures while inhabitants remained inside. Following this initial assault, he said that the perpetrators, comprising two distinct factions targeting each village, began systematic house-to-house operations. He said that males aged thirteen and above were specifically targeted and separated from women and younger children, and that these individuals were then methodically subjected either to immediate field executions conducted outside their residences, or being forced to crawl to the village square before being shot. He alleged that the perpetrators employed additional methods of killing, which included premeditatedtorture techniques such as breaking civilians' backs andtrampling them, as well asmutilation tactics such asgouging out eyes anddismembering limbs withsaws. In one instance, he said, aninfirm man was forcibly removed from his sickbed before being executed outside his home. He heard armes individuals shouting anti-Alawite slogans such as "Alawites and pigs, we will exterminate you" during the operations. He said sectarian songs were sung while victims were being led to execution sites. Following the executions, he said, secondary groups entered the villages with the apparent objective ofproperty destruction andtheft. He alleged that individuals systematically looted valuable possessions from residences, destroyed items that could not be removed, and burned numerous structures. According to the SOHR, the massacre appears to have been part of a premeditated plan aimed at bothextermination anddisplacement of the remaining Alawite population in the area.[72]
In the village of Sonobar, following killings in the area anti-Alawite messages were scrawled on houses in the village saying things such as 'You were a minority, and now you are a rarity.'[12]
In rural areas ofHama Governorate, similar violence occurred. In the Alawite village ofArzah, approximately one hundred armed individuals from the neighboring Sunni village ofKhitab reportedly entered the community around 2:00 p.m. AST afterFriday prayers. According to survivors, village security forces attempted to prevent the incursion by firing warning shots before being overwhelmed. The village pharmacist was allegedly the first to be executed, followed by systematic house-to-house killings involvingAK-47s that resulted in 24 deaths, including two women. Khitabimam andSalafi figure Abu Jaber indirectly claimed responsibility for the massacre on Arzah on 7 March. He expressed that it was necessary to "cleanse" the area of Alawite settlements, and stated that it would be the nearby Alawite village ofRabia's "turn" next. Several atrocities were reported inTishrin in Hama province, including a video of a man being thrown out of his car before being "violently trampled". Tishrin residents claimed that soldiers of theHamza Division as well as theSultan Suleiman Shah Division, headed by generalMohammed al-Jassem, both affiliated with the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army, were involved in the atrocities.[13]
On 8 March 2025, security forces had retaken control of the cities of Latakia, Baniyas, Tartous and Jableh, but fighting with Assad loyalist groups continued in the outskirts and rural areas.[73] Pro-government reinforcements arrived in Qardaha, where Assadist loyalists were still fighting.[74] Forces loyal to Damascus arrested one group of fighters that had committed violations against Alawite civilians, and seized vehicles stolen by armed groups from local residents.[50]
In the village of Al-Rusafa, Alawites were humiliated by being forced to howl like dogs and at least 60 were killed including at least one victim as young as 4 years old. Those killed also suffered from mutilation, with one man having his heart cut out and placed on his chest. Following the massacre, messages appeared in al-Rusafa saying 'Sunni men passed through here. We came to shed your blood.'[12]
Meanwhile, in the village of Qurfays representatives of the village were sent to try to mediate with the Othman Brigade. These representatives stated that they did not harbour any support for the 6 March uprising. Although during the mediation efforts six men were killed outside the Qurfays shrine and another fifty were beaten. Later on, a convoy of 80 vehicles arrived and killed 23 people over two days. Those in Unit 400, a force within the Syrian army, had stated that crying was banned as looting occurred throughout the village, and that the villagers should be thankful for 'being allowed to bury their dead.'[12]
In Baniyas, armed groups reportedly returned to areas they had previously targeted, resuming executions and expanding their victims to include entire families, including women and children. One resident claimed that attackers who had accepted payments or valuables such asgold andsilver to spare lives on 7 March returned the next day to kill those same individuals.[13]
31 civilians inTuwaym, including nine children and four women, were killed and buried in amass grave.[75] Residents of Alawite villages and towns claimed that gunmen shot civilians in streets or at the entrances to their homes. In some instances, assailants reportedly checked identification documents to verify individuals' religious affiliation before killing them. Other witnesses reported attackers gathering nearresidential buildings,firing indiscriminately at homes,burning down homes, stealing cars and property, leaving bodies in the streets, on rooftops, and inside homes, and preventing residents from retrieving the deceased forproper burial. Some residents claimed that the attackers included foreign fighters and militants from neighboring communities, though these allegations could not be independently verified.[75]
During the afternoon, gunmen fired upon a funeral procession inMuzayraa, killing two brothers, forcing civilians to run away into surroundingorchards. Several armed groups coming from neighboring Sunni settlements alleged by survivors to be associated withHay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) reportedly "started killing everyone in the houses" of Sharifa, while setting fire to and looting residences. Surviving residents reported that they confirmed twenty-seven deaths, which included five women, after assembling photos and videos of residents killed. A list of names of over 130 civilian victims in Muzayraa, over fifty from Snobar, forty-two fromAin al-Arous, and eleven inBustan al-Basha was distributed by surviving locals.[13][76]
Electricity anddrinking water supplies were cut off in large areas around Latakia. Thousands of residents reportedly fled to nearby mountains for safety. Others sought refuge across the border inLebanon, according toLebanese lawmaker Haidar Nasser.[75] Lebanese lawmaker Sajih Attieh reported that "very large waves" of displaced Syrians evacuated to five or six Alawite villages inAkkar District, estimating a total of 10,000 arrivals in one day. He claimed that due to earlier Israeli bombardments of three border crossings, there was no public security present to legally control the flow of displaced Syrians.[77]
Dozens of civilians, former members of the Assad regime and their families fled to theKhmeimim Air Base – still under Russian control – in Latakia province to seek refuge.[78] Footage andsatellite imagery verified byThe New York Times showed hundreds of newly parked vehicles on roads inside the base perimeter. Video evidence documented large crowds of people outside the facility holding placards and chanting "We want international protection." More than a dozen military tents had been erected, with footage showing women and children receiving food distributed by personnel in military fatigues inside the base.[79]
By midday on 8 March, the number of killings reported by SOHR reached 532,[80][81][82] and reached 745 by the end of the day.[83][75] SNHR, in contrast, said late on 8 March that since 6 March a total of 164 civilians, including seven children and 13 women, were confirmed killed in the villages and towns of Jableh, Baniyas, and Latakia, as well as 121 General Security checkpoint personnel and that 147 people (26 civilians and 121 security forces) had been killed by militants loyal to Assad, but noted that the actual death toll would be much higher.[23][61][50]
According to the SOHR, 303 civilians were reported to have been killed on 9 March by the security forces, Ministry of Defense personnel and allied forces, with 103 in Tartus Governorate, 194 in Lataika Governorate, and six in Hama Governorate.[84]
On the morning of 9 March, several reported atrocities took place in Taanita andAl-Qadmus near the city of Tartus. Roughly a dozen Alawite villages in Hama Governorate had been evacuated and deserted.[13] A doctor in a hospital in Al-Qadmus reported receiving several cases withgunshot wounds andshrapnel-related injuries, and that whole families had been "wiped out" by the Syrian government's massacre.[68] State authorities positioned a military convoy in the vicinity of Al-Qadmus.[85]
The SyrianMinistry of Interior stated that additional security reinforcements were sent to the Tartus countryside, reporting that theGeneral Security Department was conducting combing operations around Al-Qadmus and settlements surrounding Tartus Governorate against pro-Assad holdouts. The state-ownedSyrian Arab News Agency posted pictures showing forces leavingIdlib Governorate to fight against Assad-linked remnants. The Syrian Ministry of Defense stated that it closed all roads between coastal Syria and other regions to prevent further transgressions.[86]
AtHammam Wasel in the Baniyas countryside, SOHR reported significant military movements by government forces entering the area. Tanks were deployed on the town's outskirts, accompanied by artillery shelling and gunfire, creating several fires in many areas. These operations reportedly triggered fires in several areas of the town and caused panic among local residents. During a state-implemented curfew, Beit Al-Ateiq village experienced artillery bombardment by theMilitary Operations Command, resulting in the burning of residential structures. Several additional areas in the Tartus countryside suffered from "heavy bombardment" using tanks anddrones. The attacks particularly concentrated along the Al-Qadmus-Baniyas highway and in several specific locations including Ta'nita. During rescue calls made during the bombardments, residents of Hammam Wasel and Beit Al-Ateiq reportedly exclaimed that their villages were not concertedly pro-Assad.[85]
Multiple locations in Latakia province were subjected to Military Operations Command bombardment, with SOHR documenting military operations inBarmiya, Al-Hattaniyah, Al-Ruwaymiyah, Al-Rumaylah,Muzayraa, Al-Quayqah, and Mazar Al-Qatariyah. Several drone strikes were reported in mountainous and forested areas, suggesting that authorities suspected these regions of serving as hideouts or transit routes for militant groups. SOHR said that several residents made distress calls through human rights monitoring organization, pleading for security forces to protect them. SOHR described government bombings as "indiscriminate"[85]
The number of civilian deaths in Sanobar was reported[by whom?] to have increased to at least 133.[68]
SOHR reported at least 143 civilian deaths on 10 March, with seventy-one in Hama Governorate, forty-two in Tartus Governorate, twenty-six in Lataika Governorate, and four in Homs Governorate.[84] On 11 March, SNHR published a report on the violence and gave a cumulative total number of documented deaths in Latakia, Hama, Tartous and Homs for the period from 6 to 10 March: at least at least 803 people, including 420 civilians and "disarmed militants" killed by armed forces aligned with Damascus, plus 172 pro-Damascus fighters and 211 civilians killed by pro-Assad forces.[50]
According to SOHR, Syrian Ministry of Defense-affiliated armed groups stormed Harison in the countryside of Baniyas, which had been evacuated after its residents fled into nearby farmlands following earlier attacks. SOHR said the gunmen looted several homes and set many on fire. Residents of Harison demanded immediate intervention and for UN representatives to survey the town.[87] Almost 200 civilians in Baniyas had been killed since 7 March. Survivors reported that the perpetrators included "Syria-based jihadi foreign fighters" from surrounding provinces, along with local Sunni Muslim civilians from neighboring villages enacting reprisals for earlier massacres committed by Assad-loyalist paramilitaries against Sunni residents, including the 2013Bayda and Baniyas massacres.[16]
SOHR said that the delivery of food supplies and essential needs to coastal Syria and in Lataika and Jableh neighbourhoods had been ceased since the start of the reprisals, This, in conjunction with interrupted water supplies, electricity, and suspended operations of local bakeries, led to a significant deterioration in living conditions, and forced residents to send distress calls.[87]
Dozens of displaced citizens who were taking refuge in the Russian-controlledKhmeimim Air Base in Latakia Governorate held a demonstration against the massacres committed by the Syrian Ministry of Defense and Ministry of the Interior and associated militias. SOHR said efforts by Syrian security forces to convince citizens to leave with promises of renewed security were generally unsuccessful, with many carrying placards protesting against ethnic cleansing and demanding protection from the international community to prevent further massacres.[88]
According to a report byThe Guardian citing SNHR,Syrian National Army unitsHamza Division andSultan Suleiman Shah Division were responsible for the majority of killings of civilians.[89]
During 11 March, the SOHR said it had documented the killings of 132 Alawite civilians in three separate massacres, bringing their cumulative total to 1,225 civilian deaths in forty-seven separate massacres since 6 March.[90][91] The bodies of eight civilians were found dumped in a well inAl-Sabinah,Rif Dimashq Governorate. The bodies had several gunshot wounds, indicating, according to SOHR, that their deaths were from a field execution.[92]
The BBC noted the circulation of several videos on social media filled withhate speech against andincitement of violence towards Alawites.[93]
TheUnited Nations Human Rights Office reported that "entire families including women and children" had been killed.[94] TheUnited Nations Refugee Agency reported that more than 6,000 people had fled across the border into northernLebanon by 11 March.[79] Several families were lefthomeless due to the destruction and arson of their homes, with many others hiding in forested and mountainous areas in order to avoid the potential return of militants. Displaced residents faced ahumanitarian crisis due to severe food,healthcare, and essential goods shortages caused by deprivation of service to the region. Several families, especially among those living in villages on the outskirts of Baniyas, were targeted with direct gunfire from far away. Civilians sheltering at the Russian-controlled Khmeimim Air Base refused to leave the grounds.[95]
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documented numerous survivor testimonies stating that militia forces forced themselves into residences, asked the residents if they were Sunni or Alawite, and would execute those who indicated the latter.[96]
On 12 March, SOHR said it had documented further massacres that day in which 158 civilians were killed, the vast majority Alawites: in Hama (Al-Rusafa, 62 killed, andArza, 22), in Tartous (Baniyas, 34 deaths, andBarmaya, 15), and in Latakia (25 in various locations, including 18 inSanobar).[90] The death toll reached 1383 by 12 March per the SOHR, with 683 deaths in Latakia, 433 in Tartus, 255 in Hama, and 12 in Homs. SOHR reported five Christians among those killed on 12 March.[90]
The SOHR alleged that burial of massacre victims inmass graves was occurring, asserting that the graves could be manipulated aspropaganda byMinistry of Defense forces and associated militias by blaming the mass graves on remnants of the Assad regime.[90]
Rudaw reported that local activists said the massacres had mostly stopped, and there was calm in most Alawite areas, with some bursts of violence along the Syrian-Lebanon border. It reported that the calming of the situation led to Ahmed al-Sharaa to call for national unity, and a ceasefire.[97][contradictory]
TheSyria INGO Regional Forum, a coalition of eightyinternational non-governmental organizations operating in Syria, reported that large sections of Latakia and Tartus Governorates had no electricity, water, or food due to the deterioration in security from the use of heavy weapons against civilian areas and roadblocks preventing the flow of humanitarian aid. The forum stated that six major hospitals in the region and multiple ambulances were made nonfunctional as a result of the regional violence.[98]
A video appearing to document a Syrian woman inAl-Qabu facing gunmen after they allegedly killed her two children in front of her was spread on Syrian social media platforms. In the video, the gunmen disparaged the women with sectarian anti-Alawite rhetoric.[99] SOHR said that twoShiite civilians were killed: one shot to death as he was returning from work inAl-Zurzuriyah, Homs Governorate, and another found shot to death after being kidnapped a few days prior. SOHR also said that aChristian civilian was shot to death and his fiancée severely injured while driving a motorcycle in Baniyas.[100]
The Governor ofNorth Lebanon reported that over 6,000 Alawite refugees had escaped to Lebanese Alawite settlements near the border, with many families crossing theNahr al-Kabir to do so.[102]
According to the SOHR, military units affiliated Chechen, Turkestani, and Uzbek units began entering Alawite areas carrying SDF flags. The SDF have no presence in the region, and no SDF soldiers had moved from north-east Syria. According to the SOHR, the deployments are intended to create unrest in Alawite regions.[103]
On 13 March, SOHR said it had documented 93 civilians killed in sectarian massacres, the vast majority Alawites, increasing the reported number of killed civilians to 1,476.[104]
SOHR said that residences in Qardaha were "usurped" by gunmen, who then expelled those living in them. They said additional gunmen set forests around Qardaha on fire, as well as several residences and properties located near Qardaha in the Latakia Mountains, including the villages of Baqna, Bishriyeh, Salata, Istamna, and Bishlama. Severalpine tree forests and properties were ravaged by the fires, with Civil Defensefirefighting groups being unable to reach them. Hundreds of firefighting machines had earlier been confiscated and transported away by Assad regime-associated parties, it said. Local residents fled the villages to escape the fires and violence.[105]
The SOHR demanded that Syrian government authorities specify their use of the term "regime remnants" regarding pro-Assad combatants, and to list their names in official media. The SOHR alleged the widespread justification of killings from pro-government media outlets which called murdered citizens who it said were confirmed to be unarmed (such as one son of Syrian woman who featured in one widely circulating video, whose sons were apparently killed in front of her inAl-Qabu), with many welcoming the new Syrian government, "regime remnants" due to their Alawite background.[72]
On 14 March, SOHR reported 24 civilians killed in two massacres in Latakia and Tartus Governorates, increasing its reported number of deaths from sectarian killings since 6 March to 1,500.[106] SOHR said three civilians were killed in field executions after being seized at the Mawana security checkpoint along a road betweenSafita and Tartus. It said one of those killed had beenconscripted into Syria'scompulsory military service four months prior to the fall of Assad's regime, and had been one of the former soldiers who made a legal settlement with the government.[107]
TheUnited Nations Population Fund reported that all life-savingreproductive health facilities andgender-based violence centers had been shut down in the coastal regions due to the regional instability. It also reported that due to widespread curfews and restrictions on entering the coastal regions, all humanitarian missions in the area and attempts to aid displaced families had to be suspended.[108]
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On 14 March, theSyrian Observatory for Human Rights published a series of articles alleging repression by the Damascus government. It did not specify the dates of the alleged incidents.
SOHR alleged that, "according to exclusive information provided to the Observatory", the interim government had implemented significant restrictions on media access to the country's coastal provinces. It alleged that journalists and international media organizations were prohibited from entering the coastal areas, and that existing foreign media personnel were ordered to depart the country within thirty days. According to SOHR, only specific media organizations perceived as sympathetic to the new government were permitted to enter designated areas within the coastal region for reporting purposes. The SOHR said that sources had told it that authorities were restricting the movement of relief teams and humanitarian aid into coastal cities affected by violence. The SOHR characterized the access limitations as "part of a systematic effort to conceal evidence ofwar crimes andgenocide," arguing that restricting journalists' movements represented "a systematic policy to obscure the facts and prevent documentation of violations." The organization said that the isolation of the sites of the massacres from the international community would "paves the way for forced demographic change and theobliteration of evidence ofcrimes against humanity." It expressed concern that the combination of media restrictions and limitations on humanitarian access could exacerbate suffering in affected communities, while simultaneously reducing international awareness of and response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.[109]
SOHR said that it had obtained videos recorded by members of Syria's Ministry of Defense personnel which reportedly documented a "sectarian liquidation operation" and the ongoing "hatred and lawlessness" in targeted villages. SOHR said one showed several individuals identified as Ministry of Defense personnel inside an Alawite residence in an unknown village. The footage reportedly captured the body of a male victim, verbal exchanges between personnel using terminology such as "sectarian cleansing", and direct orders from one individual instructing others to kill any remaining occupants through "field execution" and to take no prisoners, and that one individual is seen holding an Alawitereligious symbol. SOHR said a second video showed another individual inside a residence in theSafita area of Tartus countryside, making threats against members of the Alawite sect, vowing for revenge against the sect.[110]
The SOHR reported receiving information indicating that members of the Syrian Ministry of Defense had deliberately set fires across the Latakia countryside. Videos sent to the SOHR showed Ministry of Defense forces setting a fire in a village in the countryside of Qardaha. The acts of arson created massiveconflagrations spreading across wide areas of the Latakia countryside, resulting in thedestruction of forests,agricultural land, as well as both public and private buildings and property. The fires also caused widespread destruction of forests and villages in the Qardaha countryside, with extensive plumes of smoke reported. The SOHR stated that in addition to the significant threat posed to agriculture and theenvironment, that the fires endangered the lives of civilians who evacuated from their residences to the forests to escape systematic killings.[111]
The SOHR alleged the existence of a coordinated online campaign attempting toreframe the massacres against Alawite civilians as bilateral conflict between opposing forces rather thantargeted attacks against a specific community. It alleged that the campaign appeared to coordinate posting patterns,hashtag manipulation, and theartificial amplification of specific narratives, and particularly focused oneconomically disadvantaged areas with significant Alawite populations. It said the campaign appeared designed to complicate attribution of responsibility by suggesting that violence was occurring on all sides at the site of the massacres in order to help government forces evade responsibility, and that the campaign appeared to try to influence foreign governments' and organizations' understanding of events to minimize international intervention, and to create an impression of popular support for actions against Alawite communities in Damascus. The SOHR said that these narrative manipulation efforts sought to "obscure the truth about the genocide being perpetrated against the Alawites in the Sahel [coastal region]," potentially undermining accountability mechanisms for those responsible for violence. The observatory also condemned the lack of effort in stopping "hate speech andincitement to murder" since the fall of Assad.[112]
On 16 March, SOHR said that five bodies were found with traces of gunfire in the countryside of Tartus and Homs, presumed to be civilian victims of field executions.[113]
SOHR reported that sources told it that Russian forces agreed to bury three bodies at the Khmeimim base. One body was believed to be of a man who had been shot on Khmeimim Bridge; the two others were believed to be those of a woman and her daughter, struck by a drone in their car as they attempted to escape from ongoing violence near a shop towards the refuge of the Khmeimim base. All three bodies reportedly remained out in the open for at least two days until they were able to be brought to the base.[114]
SOHR reported that Syrian government authorities dispatched transportation to relocate Alawite families taking refuge at the Russia-controlled Khmeimim base back to their houses. However, the families refused evacuation, citing their profound distrust of government authorities following what they described as genocidal actions against their communities and the lack of adequate protection guarantees. Many families expressed their fear of becoming victimized by continued violence upon return to their home regions, amid reports of continued targeting of civilians in the Baniyas countryside and nearby regions. Displaced persons at the base reportedly experienced severe shortages of food supplies, essential living necessities, and medical equipment and services.[115]
SOHR reported that a document had circulated that appeared to be the Russian base operators' request to displaced persons to leave due to the return of peace; the SOHR said the document was inauthentic, and that civilians hold told it the Russian had given a free choice of whether to stay or leave, and that the base operators were continuing to provide aid.[116]
Residents of Damascus called for Syrian government forces to reveal what happened to nineteen Alawite civilians who had been arrested on 7 March in the Anaza neighborhood ofQadam, Damascus, amid infractions committed against civilians and their residences in the area. Rumors spread that they had been executed, leading to concerns that their bodies could be secretly disposed of by security forces.[117]
On 17 March, SOHR said massacres were committed in Latakia and Tartus mainly againstAlawiteSyrians, killing fifty-seven (including 26 in Sonobar), increasing the number of reported civilians massacred since 6 March to 1,557.[118]
SOHR also claimed thatinternet andtelecommunication services fromSyriatel andMTN were suddenly shut down in Tartus and Lataika Governorates, forcing the suspension of local business and service operations. It said the shutdown exacerbated existing humanitarian adversity in the region, and alarmed locals to the possibility of a new military and security operation targeting the Syrian coastal region.[119]
According to theInstitute for the Study of War (ISW), local Alawite social media sources continued to allege acts of sectarian violence bySunnis and government forces, although these claims could not be verified.[120]
TheSyrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a marked re-escalation of extrajudicial killings by "unknown gunmen", with sixteen civilians being executed or murdered in 48 hours over 8–10 April, including eight deaths in Homs. Incidents reported by SOHR included the following. On 8 April,General Security Service personnel opened fire on unarmed young men in Latakia and on reported thieves escaping a checkpoint inal-Suqaylabiyah. On 9 April, a Russian-linked former commander of an Iranian-backed armed group was assassinated in Aleppo by unknown gunmen, and revenge attacks were conducted against Assad regime veterans accused of violations.[121]
By 15 April, Alawite civilians were still being killed and harassed, including some who had been opposed to Assad and had never served in the former army.[122]
Suspected perpetrators according toMaggie Michael's June 2025Reuters investigation[12] and theUnited Nations Human Rights Council investigation published in August 2025[26] include five main groups responsible for the mass killings of Alawites:
In late July 2025, a Syrian investigative committee submitted two lists of suspects, out of an initial list of 298 people, to courts.[28]Human Rights First (HRF) criticised the committee's press conference summarising its findings as having "effectively absolved the government of any responsibility" for the groups suspected of having carried out the massacres and for having described government forces as having had a "high degree of discipline" and being "focused on protecting civilians and upholding the law." HRF called for the committee's report to be made public.[29]
TheUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that more than 6,000 people had fled across the border into northernLebanon by 11 March.[79] TheUnited Nations Population Fund estimated on 14 March that 51,000 civilians had been displaced due to the violence, including 6,000 in Lebanon.[108]
AReuters investigation published at the end of April reported that since January hundreds and possibly thousands of people, mostly Alawites, had been evicted from their homes in Damascus suburbs, sometimes at gunpoint, in many cases by gunmen affiliated to theGeneral Security Service. Syrian human rights groups such asSyrians for Truth and Justice, government officials and Alawite residents had told Reuters that most had been in government housing attached to state jobs they no longer had, but that hundreds were in private residences evicted in "sectarian score-settling", often to rehouse displaced families returning from Idlib.[123]
In the first few months of 2025, as many as 33 Alawite women and girls were kidnapped, some being forced into marriage by their kidnappers.[124][125][126][127] Others have facedenforced disappearance.[125] By July 2025, 50–60 Alawite women were estimated to have been kidnapped to be held assabayasex slaves.[128]
The kidnappings and disappearance of the Alawite women has been met with silence from the Syrian government which has generally denied any sectarian nature in these events and has disincentivised their discussion.[125]
On 18 November 2025, 14 people were brought to Aleppo's Palace of Justice for a preliminary hearing related to the violence and massacres. Half of them were members of government forces while the rest were alleged Assad loyalists. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on December 2025.[129][130]
On 7 March, the advisor to the formerAlawite Council president,Muhammad Nasser, claimed toHezbollah newspaperAl-Ahed that entire families had been executed. He alleged that over 1,700 civilians had been killed.[7] TheSyrian Democratic Forces'Hawar News Agency gave the same figure, citing "local sources".[131]
TheAlawite Islamic Council released a statement attributing responsibility for the violence to the government. The council claimed thatmilitary convoys had been dispatched to the coastal region under the pretext of targeting "regime remnants" but were instead "terrorizing and killing Syrians." The organization called forUnited Nations protection for the coastal territories.[67]
The Syrian government'snews agencySANA acknowledged "some individual violations" following attacks by pro-Assad forces that had resulted in police casualties, stating that authorities were "working to stop them."[67] The agency also reported that several individuals traveled to Alawite coastal settlements to carry out revenge for attacks against the government.[132]
The SyrianGeneral Intelligence Service accused "former military and security leaders affiliated with thedefunct regime [of being] behind the planning of these crimes" regarding the cause of the escalated violence. The Ministry of Defense stated that government units had successfully re-taken areas where pro-Assad forces attacked its forces.[132]
Later that day the Syrian presidency announced the formation of a seven-member independent committee to investigate the incidents. This committee is tasked with examining violations against civilians, identifying those responsible, and has the authority to question individuals as part of its inquiry. They are required to submit a comprehensive report within 30 days, after which those found culpable will be referred to the judiciary for prosecution.[133]
In a speech addressing Syrian people on 8 March, Syrian PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa stated: "Some remnants of the fallen regime attempted to test the new Syria they do not understand. Today, they see it as united, from east to west, from north to south, ...".[134] Condemning the attacks against police forces, hospitals and civilians by Assadist insurgents,[134] al-Sharaa said: "You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it."[135] He demanded that they surrender their arms "before it's too late." He stated that he would "continue to work towards monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state, and there will be no more unregulated weapons."[132] Al-Sharaa urged pro-government fighters to "avoid any abuses" after reports emerged of massacres of Alawite civilians inLatakia.[136]
On 8 March 2025, the Syrian Ministry of Defense said that it wouldn't let violations be committed by the Syrian Army's Forces or any other armed militants, and that an emergency committee was formed to refer disobeying units to a military court. The spokesman of the Ministry of DefenseHassan Abdul Ghani urged militants who have no connection to the military operation in the Syrian coast to leave the area.[137][138][139]
On 8 March, theInternational Committee of the Red Cross in Syria posted on social media that the organization was "extremely concerned" about the reported violence, and insisted that all parties involved not target medical facilities, allow for unhindered health care access, and allow for humanitarian workers to reach the injured and dead.[140]
On 9 March 2025, President al-Sharaa issued a decision to form an independent national committee to investigate and find the facts about the events and violations that took place in the Syrian coastal areas since 6 March 2025. The committee was tasked with uncovering the circumstances and conditions that led to those events, and the violations against civilians, government forces and security personnel that occurred, and identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice. al-Sharaa stressed that the committee, consisting of seven judges, should submit its report to the president of the Republic within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of issuance of the decision.[141] al-Sharaa described the violence along the coast as a part of "expected challenges".[142]
TheSyrian Democratic Forces (SDF) condemned the violence against the Alawites, withMazloum Abdi calling on al-Sharaa to hold the perpetrators of the massacres accountable, and to stop the violence. Abdi stated extremist groups were attempting to "createsectarian conflicts and settle internal scores" across Syria.[143]
On 10 March 2025, President al-Sharaa condemned the mass killings of Alawites, emphasizing that such violence threatens national unity. He pledged to hold all perpetrators accountable, including those within his own ranks, stating, "We won't accept that any blood be shed unjustly, or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us". Al-Sharaa attributed the initial violence to pro-Assad groups backed by foreign entities but acknowledged subsequent revenge attacks. He stated that he was committed to uphold the rule of law and prevent Syria from descending into sectarian conflict.[144] On 10 March 2025, theSDF signed the10 March agreement with the Syrian transitional government to integrate SDF-controlled institutions into the state, open border crossings, and a commitment to combat remnants of the former regime.[145][146] The DAANES later rejected a new draftedSyrian constitution, theSyrian Democratic Council warned of increased violence in Syria, sectarianism, and authoritarianism.[147][148]On 6 June, the Syrian government'sSupreme Fatwa Council issued a fatwa banning all forms of extrajudicial killing, including tribal clashes and vigilantism.[149]
Bahaa al-Jamal, described by Kurdish outletRudaw Media Network as the commander of Druze operations in Suwayda,[clarification needed] told Rudaw that he condemned the massacres of Alawites, emphasizing that the victims were unarmed civilians and not "remnants of the [Assad] regime" as stated in the accounts of HTS and al-Sharaa. He stated that the violence was leading to insecurity for other minorities but the Druze had substantial military capability with "thousands of military personnel" and the right to defend themselves if confronted by government forces.[150]
On 9 March, activists inDamascus organized a "silent demonstration", mourning the mass killing of citizens and the deaths of government security forces during the clashes, and advocating for national unity. Approximately several dozen people gathered for this memorial protest, with some participants displaying placards stating "Syrian lives are not cheap."[151][152]
This initial gathering was soon confronted by counter-demonstrators who chanted anti-Alawite sentiments and called for a "Sunni Muslim state." Physical altercations erupted between the opposing groups of protesters, with counter-protesters accusing initial protesters of ignoring the slaughter of Sunni Muslims under Assad's regime. Members of the original protests responded by stating that they could settle "your score with Assad, we have nothing to do with his crimes." Security forces intervened to end the confrontation, firingwarning shots into the air to disperse the crowds.[151][152]
Also on 9 March, activists in the mainly-Druze city ofSuwayda organized a demonstration in Al-Karamah Square condemning the sectarian-oriented massacres against coastal Syrians, and demanded an end to state violence and reprisals towards civilians. Many protesters carried banners juxtaposing the then-ongoing massacres alongside prior massacres under the Assad regime. Several protesters and residents articulated that it is a crime to kill civilians no matter who the perpetrator was, and insisted that theSyrian revolution against the Assad regime was for "a dignified life, not for revenge".[153]
Protests occurred in SDF cities inHasakah andQamishli on 12 March, holding banners condemning the recent violence, and photos of recent violence. Protestors called for the perpetrators of the violence to be held accountable and protection of Alawite areas.[154]
Australia: TheDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated that theGovernment of Australia was "deeply concerned" by the rising violence in Syria and assaults against civilians. The government insisted that all parties show restraint, and that they followinternational law with regards to protecting civilians.[156]
Canada: On 12 March, Canadian officials condemned the "atrocities" perpetrated against Alawite civilians in western Syria. On the same day, theCanadian government announced plans to ease many of its financial sanctions imposed on Syria during the Assad regime while allowing designated banking channels formoney transfers, such as theCentral Bank of Syria.Canadian Special Envoy to SyriaOmar Alghabra stated that the lifted sanctions would allow Canada to aid in constructing an "inclusive" and more stable, peaceful Syrian state with equal rights for its citizens.[157][158]
France: On 8 March, theMinistry for Europe and Foreign Affairs issued a statement that condemned allsectarian and civilian-involved violence occurring in Syria, and requested that the Syrian transitional government employ independeal-Sharaa investigations to sentence the perpetrators of the regional violence and killings. TheGovernment of France reiterated its hopes for a "peaceful and inclusive political transition" in Syria to protect the nation from violence and fragmentation.[159]
Germany: On 7 March 2025, theForeign Ministry urged all parties involved in the ongoing conflict in Syria to avoid further escalation of violence. In a statement, the ministry expressed concern over the rising number of casualties in western Syria, calling for peaceful solutions and national unity. The statement read: "We are shocked by the numerous victims in the western regions of Syria. We call on all sides to seek peaceful solutions, national unity, inclusive political dialogue and transitional justice, and to overcome the spiral of violence and hatred."[132]
Greece: TheMinistry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing deep alarm at the escalated violence and civilian casualties reported, urging de-escalation from all parties and security for all religious and ethnic groups. Foreign MinisterGiorgos Gerapetritis reportedly expressed the necessity of maintaining the safety of Christian populations and other minorities during a phone call withGreek Orthodox Patriarch of AntiochJohn X.[160]
Houthi movement: LeaderAbdul-Malik al-Houthi condemned the mass killing of civilians and publishing of such killing on social media. He accused SyrianTakfiri groups of committing genocide against defenseless citizens. He further accusedEurope and theUnited States of enabling their ability to commit such acts withoutdeterrence in order to destabilize the nation while Israel, the U.S., andArab nations portrayed themselves as heroes to the Syrians. He characterized the brutality ofTakfiri violence as "American, Israeli,Zionist,Jewish engineering".[161]
Iran: TheForeign Ministry proclaimed that there was "no justification" for the massacres committed against Alawites, Druze, Christians, and other minorities. The ministry's spokesperson described the attacks as having "truly wounded the emotions and conscience" of nearby nations in addition to the broader international community.[162]
Israel: TheDefense MinisterIsrael Katz characterizedSyrian PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa (referred to by Katz under hisnom de guerre "Al-Julani") as "ajihadist terrorist from theAl-Qaeda school, committing atrocities against the Alawite civilian population." Katz affirmed Israel's intention tocontinue to occupy Syrian territory, defend communities in the Israeli-occupiedGolan Heights and Israel'sGalilee regions, ensuresouthern Syria's demilitarization, and defend the localDruze population.[42]
Kazakhstan:Foreign MinisterMurat Nurtileu stated during an extraordinaryOrganization of Islamic Cooperation gathering to address the escalations in Syria and Palestine that Kazakhstan had been monitoring the events in Syria closely since their start. He called for organization's member nations to take active steps towards stabilizing the ongoing unrest while following the Syrian people's best interests.[163]
Lebanon:Free Patriotic Movement leaderGebran Bassil described the violence as a significant danger to Lebanon in addition to Syria, and warned that a spillover of sectarian violence could fracture the unity of the nation. He urged for different Lebanese sects of Christianity and Islam to respect one another and avoid possible causes of division.[164]
Netherlands:Fourth Rutte cabinetState Secretary for Justice and SecurityEric van der Burg condemned the official European Union response to the massacres, stating that it "reverses the roles of perpetrators and victims. The regime is responsible here."New Social Contract party leaderPieter Omtzigt also condemned the European Union's response, describing it as "a bizarre statement" based on the "many horrific images of summary executions that appear to be the work of the new rulers and their allies."[165]
Russia:Kremlin Press SecretaryDmitry Peskov said that Russia "wants to see Syria united, prosperous, and friendly," and that it is in contact with other countries on the "Syrian issue."[166] Russia's UN ambassador, compared the sectarian and ethnic killings in Syria to the Rwandan genocide in 1994.[167]
Turkey: Turkish presidentRecep Tayyip Erdoğan declared, "As Turkey, we strongly condemn all attacks, acts of terrorism, and intimidation that target Syria's unity, stability, and social peace." Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Erdoğan stated, "With the effective intervention of Syrian government forces, the incidents have largely been brought under control, but the situation on the ground remains sensitive." Erdoğan defended that al-Sharaa is pursuing an inclusive policy "without falling into the trap of revanchism."[168] On the other hand, Turkish parliament member andDEM Party co-chairs,Tülay Hatimoğulları andTuncer Bakırhan, issued a written statement criticizing the new Syrian administration's policies. They expressed concern that the administration excludedKurds,Alawites,Druze, women, and other groups from key political processes such as forming a transitional government and drafting a constitution. The statement also condemned massacres targeting Alawites in Latakia and Tartus, attributing them to the administration's exclusionary policies, and noted similar incidents in Hama, Homs, and nearby villages. It warned that these events showed the civil war was still ongoing and described the situation as one of the largest massacres of Alawites in modern history, unfolding in full view of the international community.[169] Parliament member and the chairman of theRepublican People's Party,Özgür Özel, expressed deep concern over the increasing violence against Alawites in Latakia and the surrounding areas, which has resulted in rising civilian casualties. Özel criticized the Turkish government's previous optimistic rhetoric about a resolution in Syria, stating that the renewed clashes have dispelled this illusion. He also highlighted the anxiety felt byTurkish Alawites with relatives in the affected regions and expressed solidarity with their concerns. Özel called on the government to take more effective diplomatic steps with the Syrian administration to prevent further civilian casualties.[170]
United Arab Emirates: Theforeign ministry condemned the attacks by armed insurgents targeting the Syrian security forces and asserted that the UAE supported "Syria's stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity."[171]
United Council of Sheikhs and Notables of Basra and Iraq: The council accusedTurkey,Saudi Arabia, andJordan of empowering "takfiris andterrorist organizations inSyria," alleging that these states enabled HTS leaderAbu Mohammad al-Julani's faction to commit "the most brutal crimes".[172]
United States:US Secretary of StateMarco Rubio condemned the killings and offered condolences. He further indicated that "the United States stands with Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities" and that the "perpetrators of these massacres against Syria's minority communities" should be held accountable.[173]Ya Ali Popular Formations: The group has stated it will take action on perpetrators of violence against Syrian Alawites, citing Iraqi government inaction as justification.[174]
Kurdish advocacy groups: A large coalition of Kurdishhuman rights organizations, including the Kurdish Human Rights Network in Syria, strongly condemned the escalated violence in coastal Syria. They demanded that theinternational community enforce independent investigations into war crimes against Alawites. The coalition of organizations released a list of demands which included "an end to all forms of ethnic cleansing andracial persecution against Syria's diverse communities", a withdrawal of militias and military units from populated settlements to military bases, the creation of "independent civilian bodies to maintain security, free from military coercion", and the disclosure of facts behind missing persons andenforced disappearances.[175]
Kurdistan Communities Union: The Kurdistan Communities Union condemned the violence against Alawites, and said multiple groups within Syrian were under threat of massacres and genocide.[176]
Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria: TheSyrian Democratic Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria accused Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa of "repeating what former President Bashar al-Assad did" regarding the coastal massacres. The council further stated that the present Syrian transitional constitution was "illegitimate", and contradicted an earlier agreement betweenSyrian Democratic Forces with al-Sharaa regarding Rojava's integration into Syria. It stated in light of the massacres that "promotingSharia law in state administration is leading the country toward chaos".[178]
European Union: On 8 March, a statement from theEuropean Union External Actiondiplomatic service on behalf of the European Union condemned attacks by "pro-Assad elements" on transitional government armed forces, and attacks on civilians. The European Union further condemned all attempts to undermine the nation's stability and "prospects for a lasting peaceful transition, inclusive and respectful of all Syrians in their diversity".[180] On 11 March, EU foreign policy chiefKaja Kallas condemned "in the strongest terms" the attacks by pro-Assad militias on Syrian government forces and "the horrific crimes committed against civilians, including summary executions, many of them allegedly perpetrated by armed groups supporting the security forces of the transitional authorities." She "welcomed" Syrian PresidentAhmed al-Sharaa's commitment to launch an investigation into the massacres.[181]
United Nations: The United Nations called for an immediate investigation into the reports of targeted killings based on religious identity.Human rights organizations emphasized the need for independent investigators to access the sites to document potentialwar crimes orcrimes against humanity. Several countries issued statements condemning violence against civilians and urging restraint from all parties involved in the Syrian conflict.[66] International organizations expressed concern about potential sectarian violence in the region following reports of targeted killings.Geir Pedersen, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, expressed alarm regarding the intense clashes and killings, noting "very troubling reports of civilian casualties" in coastal areas between forces of the current Syrian administration Alawite pro-Assad holdouts.[42]According to Thameen Al-Kheetan, the spokesperson for theOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "entire families" have been killed, with Alawites targeted, in particular.[182] The Office reported receiving numerous accounts of large-scale killings in Alawite-majority towns and villages, where entire households—including women, children, and individuals not involved in the fighting—were massacred. Witnesses described assailants raiding homes and questioning residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni, deciding whether to kill or spare them based on their Alawite or Sunni identity. Some accounts also spoke of men being shot in front of their families.[183]
InHatay andAdana provinces in Southern Turkey, multipleAlevi advocacy groups organized protests against the mass killings. Many speakers accused the Turkish government of facilitatingcrimes against humanity as a result of itgranting military support to Syria. Protesters also condemned the perceived silence by Turkish officials and the public regarding the acts, and called upon both to resist the present Syrian government and support the Syrian people.[184] The Democratic Alevi Federation and the Democratic Alevi Women's Union released a joint statement in support of the Syrian Alawite community, condemning Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian National Army, and theIslamic State for carrying out a genocide against the Alawites.[185]
Protestors inTurkey condemned the Turkish government for its support for the Syrian Armed Forces' actions against Alawites which they said amounted to crimes against humanity. Samandağ MayorEmrah Karaçay said, "The massacres in Syria are moving toward genocide."[184]
Protests took place during the evening of 12 March in the primarily Shia town ofAl-Kadhimiya, located in northernBaghdad,Iraq. The protests denounced the crimes committed by Syrian forces and urged the international community to stop ongoing genocidal acts.[186]
On 15 March, 100–150 protesters held a demonstration outside theInternational Criminal Court (ICC) inThe Hague,Netherlands, demanding action against the persecution of Syrian Alawites and Christians. Protesters carried placards containing phrases such as "Just one of the massacres" and "Stop the slaughter, no more bloodshed". The protest occurred simultaneously with and without association to another demonstration in favor of formerPresident of the PhilippinesRodrigo Duterte, following hisarrest. During the protest, about six to seven counter-protesters intruded on the demonstration, resulting in physical confrontations between both parties and requiring police to break up the hostilities.[187]
On 10 March,Human Rights Watch deputy Middle East and North Africa director Adam Coogle lamented the onset of the sectarian murders despite the fact that "Syria's new leaders promised to break with the horrors of the past". He stated that no peace and stability in Syria would last if the government did not hold accountable every individual who committed human rights abuses, no matter their background or current allegiance.[188]
On 10 March, MENA Regional Director ofAmnesty International Heba Morayef demanded that the Syrian government immediately act to stop extrajudicial killings and other acts of injustice against citizens, bemoaning that Syrian communities "once again are being forced to endure unimaginable loss" through the repetition of "past cycles of atrocities". She emphasized that the Syrian government's failure to immediately act and carry out effective investigations withoutbias or favoritism would invigorate further acts of violence by parties withimpunity. She believed that there would be no reason for Syrian civilians to trust any findings of the government if the process was not fullytransparent or not conducted with independent international organizations. She stated that President al-Sharaa's words vowing justice against perpetrators would mean little without the participation of victims, an upholding of equalhuman rights for all communities, and for making sure that "never again really means never again".[189] In a separate statement dated 3 April 2025, the organization stated that it had investigated 32 of the killings and concluded that they were deliberate, targeted at the Alawite minority sect, and unlawful. The organization added that such deliberate killings constitute war crimes and urged the Syrian government to ensure prompt, independent, and effective investigations, hold perpetrators accountable, and end discriminatory targeting based on sect.[190]
On 10 March,Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor released a statement saying the arbitrary arrest campaigns leading to extra-judicial executions and torture by Syrian government forces had no justifiable excuse. The organization said that the crimes driven by revenge were not justice, and instead "fuel for an endless cycle of violence" requiring reconciliation andtransitional justice in addition to legal accountability to ensure justice and the prevention of future crimes.[191]
TheLemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention issued an alert on 12 March about the risk of genocide that the violence could lead to.[192]
On 10 March, theMuslim Alawite Advocacy Group in Australia called on the Australian government and the general public to condemn the massacres, and to show solidarity with minority groups.[156]
On 10 March,Christian Solidarity International formally issued a genocide warning for regions of Syria under the control of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, describing the massacres as an "orgy of targeted killings, accompanied bydehumanizinghate speech." The organization demanded that members of the United Nations, especially those of the Security Council, to intervene under obligation of international law to stop genocidal acts and protect targeted civilians.[193]
There were reports of Christians being caught in the crosshairs... Obituaries have been shared on social media for several members of the small Christian community on the coast. AFP was able to confirm at least seven of these
Six residents of the coastal region said thousands of Alawites and Christians had fled their homes since Thursday, fearing for their lives.
SNHR recorded that at least 172 members of security, police, and military forces (Internal Security Forces and Ministry of Defense personnel) were killed by non-state armed groups linked to the Assad regime.
the UK-based independent monitoring group the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) told CNN on Saturday... "We expect the death toll to be much higher," [SNHR's director Fadel Abdul] Ghani added. CNN can't independently verify SNHR's figures.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) reported on March 9 that general security forces and affiliated armed factions and individuals were responsible for the deaths of at least 396 people, "both civilians and disarmed members of the remnants of the Assad regime." Some estimates put the civilian death toll at over 700. The SNHR also reported civilian deaths at the hands of armed groups affiliated with the former government.
Initially, official Telegram channels urged people to head to the coast to "support our brothers." However, this rhetoric quickly changed, with officials later emphasizing that volunteers were no longer needed. Latakia's public security director announced a full security mobilization, while the defense minister ordered military deployment to crush Assad loyalists.
"This is the minimum, preliminary toll," SNHR's Nour al-Khatib toldSyria Direct
wanashar almarsad alsuwriu lihuquq al'iinsan alfidyu ealaa hisabatih fi mawaqie altawasul wa'arfaqah bieibara "birasm alrayiys 'ahmad alsharea.. ma hakadha tabanaa al'awtani".ونشر المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان الفيديو على حساباته في مواقع التواصل وأرفقه بعبارة "برسم الرئيس أحمد الشرع.. ما هكذا تبنى الأوطان". [The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights posted the video on its social media accounts, accompanied by the phrase, "In the name of President Ahmed al-Sharaa... This is not how homelands are built." The video sparked widespread anger...]
lilhayat alkarimat la lilthaarللحياة الكريمة لا للثأر [For a decent life, not for revenge]
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