Syria’s new authorities declared the end of a military operation against loyalists of ousted president Bashar al-Assad after over 1,000 civilians, predominantly Alawites, were killed, marking the deadliest violence since his removal. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 231 security personnel and 250 pro-Assad fighters also died in the clashes, which erupted following attacks on security forces. Amid a tense atmosphere, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised accountability for violence and stressed that Syria would not enter civil war. Analysts question the new regime’s control, while international calls for independent investigations continue amidst concerns for minority communities.
Latakia:
The new authorities in Syria declared on Monday the conclusion of an operation aimed at dismantling loyalists of deposed president Bashar al-Assad, following a war monitor’s report indicating over 1,000 civilian fatalities during the most severe violence since his ouster.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the vast majority of the 1,068 civilians killed since Thursday were Alawite minority members executed by security forces or associated groups.
The unrest in the coastal region, predominantly inhabited by the Alawite community, to which the former president belongs, poses a significant threat to the nation’s precarious transition following decades of the Assad family’s stringent leadership.
On Monday, the authorities concluded their extensive “military operation” aimed at addressing security threats and eliminating “regime remnants” in the provinces of Latakia and Tartus along the Mediterranean coast, as stated by defence ministry spokesman Hassan Abdul Ghani.
This announcement followed interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s statement, whose Islamist faction spearheaded the offensive that removed Assad on December 8, asserting that the nation would not regress into civil conflict.
“Syria… will not permit any foreign entities or domestic factions to plunge it into chaos or civil war,” Sharaa stated during a speech.
He also pledged to “account for, rigorously and without leniency, anyone involved in the slaughter of civilians… or who exceeded state authority.”
Clashes erupted on Thursday when gunmen loyal to the ousted president targeted Syria’s new security forces.
The fighting has reportedly claimed the lives of 231 security personnel and 250 pro-Assad fighters, as per the Observatory based in Britain, which utilizes a network of sources within Syria. The authorities did not disclose any casualty numbers.
A resident in Jableh, Latakia province, who wished to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, tearfully recounted to AFP the terror inflicted by armed groups that have taken control of the area.
“Over 50 individuals from my family and friends have died. They used bulldozers to collect bodies and buried them in mass graves.”
‘Extreme fear’
In certain areas, inhabitants have cautiously started to emerge, but many still hesitate to leave their homes after dark, expressing concerns over the scarcity of essential supplies.
“Currently, the situation in Latakia is somewhat calmer; people are out and about after five days filled with anxiety and extreme fear,” shared Farah, a 22-year-old university student who only provided her first name.
However, with the atmosphere still “very tense,” she remarked, “after six in the evening, the streets are deserted… it transforms into a ghost town.”
An AFP journalist noted that the route between Latakia and Jableh to the south was mostly deserted, with only military vehicles and ambulances passing through.
Vehicles damaged during clashes could be seen abandoned along the roadside.
Alongside the mass killings of Alawites, reports suggest that Christians have also been victimized during the assaults.
During a sermon in Damascus on Sunday, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch John X stated that “many innocent Christians were also killed” alongside Alawites.
Obituaries were circulated on social media for several members of the small Christian community living on the coast, with AFP confirming that seven had been killed.
“We are all victims, regardless of sect… I believe that Christians in the region share the same fears as other groups and religions,” stated Michel Khoury, a 42-year-old Christian lawyer in Latakia.
“We are all on a sinking ship, and no one will shield us except ourselves.”
The Syrian presidency has announced the establishment of an “independent committee” to “investigate the violations against civilians and identify those responsible.”
Amnesty International urged on Monday for the authorities to “allow independent national and international investigators to access Syria, specifically the coastal regions, to conduct their own fact-finding missions.”
‘Not in control’
Sharaa — whose Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has roots in the Syrian branch of the Al-Qaeda jihadist network — has committed to safeguarding Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities since the ousting of Assad.
HTS remains designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and other nations.
Experts have noted that the recent violence raises questions regarding the new authorities’ capability to govern and reconstruct a nation ravaged by 13 years of civil conflict.
“The militia turmoil observed in the Alawite coastal cities indicates… that the new Syrian army lacks control,” commented Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma.
The violence “will impede Ahmed al-Sharaa’s endeavors to consolidate his authority and persuade the international community of his control,” Landis further stated.
Iran, a crucial supporter of Assad, dismissed accusations on Monday regarding Tehran’s potential involvement in the recent violence.
Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei pronounced the allegations in various media reports, including those from the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV channel, as “entirely absurd.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised on Monday to continue providing “all possible assistance to our neighboring Syria for recovery… and to attain peace among all its ethnic and sectarian groups.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)