Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa is working to manage some of the most severe violence witnessed in 13 years of civil conflict, involving loyalists of ousted president Bashar al-Assad and the country’s new Islamist rulers. The ongoing clashes, resulting in the deaths of around 1,000 individuals, mostly civilians, have persisted for four consecutive days in Assad’s stronghold on the coast.
The head of a Syrian Kurdish armed group, engaged in a separate conflict with Turkey, accused Turkish-backed Islamist factions of perpetrating disturbing violence, including the alleged executions of civilians from Assad’s Alawite community. Al-Sharaa’s office announced the establishment of an independent committee to probe the confrontations and killings by both sides, as graphic videos of fighter executions circulated among Syrians. Verification of these videos by Reuters is pending.
A Syrian security source mentioned a slowdown in the pace of fighting around Latakia, Jabla, and Baniyas, with operations underway to locate approximately 5,000 pro-Assad insurgents hiding in the surrounding mountainous regions.
Al-Sharaa, faced with the task of governing a nation rife with factional tensions, emphasized the importance of maintaining national unity and internal peace during a visit to a mosque in Damascus. He reassured the public about Syria’s resilience, stating that the current challenges were anticipated.
Following the overthrow of Assad by rebels led by al-Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, a new interim government was established, assuming control of Syria’s armed forces. This marked the end of Assad’s family’s decades-long authoritarian rule, characterized by oppression and a brutal civil war that originated from a peaceful uprising in 2011.
The conflict, which attracted involvement from Western nations, Arab states, and Turkey supporting the rebels, and Russia, Iran, and pro-Tehran militias backing Assad, evolved into a battleground for various armed factions with conflicting loyalties and agendas. The war resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties and the displacement of millions of Syrians.
Since Assad’s ouster, clashes have erupted between Turkish-backed groups and Kurdish forces controlling significant portions of northeastern Syria. Additionally, Israel conducted strikes on military sites in Syria, advocating for the weakening of the country, according to Reuters sources.
The U.S. condemned the violence in Syria, emphasizing the need for accountability for radical Islamist terrorists and expressing solidarity with the nation’s religious and ethnic minorities. The UN human rights chief echoed these sentiments, urging the interim leadership to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The period following Assad’s removal witnessed a surge in violence as forces associated with the new Islamist rulers initiated a crackdown on an uprising within the Alawite sect in Latakia and Tartous provinces, resulting in more than 1,000 casualties over two days, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Rami Abdulrahman, head of the observatory, highlighted the high civilian death toll in the recent violence, reminiscent of the 2013 chemical weapons attack by Assad’s forces that claimed numerous lives in a Damascus suburb. Syrian security sources reported losses among their ranks in clashes with former army personnel loyal to Assad, culminating in coordinated attacks and ambushes.
Syria’s state news agency disclosed the discovery of a mass grave near Assad’s hometown, containing the bodies of security forces recently killed. The attacks triggered retaliatory killings targeting Alawites, who were linked to Assad’s brutalities against the predominantly Sunni Muslim population due to their allegiance.
Residents reported widespread destruction and fleeing from violence in Qadmous, with armed factions reportedly burning homes and vehicles along the main road. The disruption of public utilities by pro-Assad insurgents was reported, affecting electricity and water supplies, prompting the authorities to reinforce security in Latakia province to counter anti-government fighters.