Syrian Security Forces Accused of Mass Civilian Killings

Human rights groups accuse Syrian security forces of killing hundreds of civilians in a new wave of violence, sparking global outrage.

According to a war monitoring group, Syrian security forces have allegedly killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority in ongoing violence along the country’s coast.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), located in Britain, reported that approximately 745 civilians were killed during about 30 “massacres” targeting Alawites on Friday and Saturday.

BBC News has not independently confirmed these claims.

Reports indicate that hundreds of people have fled their homes in the region, a stronghold associated with former president Bashar al-Assad, who is also part of the Alawite sect.

According to the SOHR, over 1,000 people have been killed in the last two days, marking the worst violence in Syria since rebels overthrew the Assad regime in December.

This number comprises dozens of government soldiers and Assad supporters, who have been engaged in conflicts since Thursday in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous.

According to the SOHR’s report, approximately 125 members of the Islamist-led government security forces and 148 pro-Assad fighters have been killed in the violence.

A spokesperson for the Syrian defense ministry informed the country’s Sana news agency that control had been regained by the government following “treacherous attacks” on its security personnel.

According to an activist in the city who spoke to the BBC on Friday, the violence has plunged the Alawite community into “a state of horror,” leading hundreds of people to reportedly flee from affected areas.

According to the Reuters news agency, significant numbers of people sought safety at a Russian military base in Hmeimim, Latakia.

Video footage shared by Reuters captured dozens of people outside the base, chanting “people want Russian protection.”

In the meantime, local media report that numerous families have escaped to neighboring Lebanon.

The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed being “deeply alarmed” by the “very troubling reports of civilian casualties” occurring in the coastal regions of Syria.

He urged all parties to refrain from actions that could destabilize the country and put a credible and inclusive political transition at risk.

Alawites, belonging to a sect that is an offshoot of Shia Islam, comprise approximately 10% of Syria’s population. The majority of the country’s populace practices Sunni Islam.