Hundreds of Syrians have been killed in recent clashes between the government and former al-Assad loyalists.
Syria is experiencing its deadliest period since the ousting of longtime President Bashar al-Assad three months ago, as clashes have erupted between government forces and pro-al Assad fighters this week, leaving hundreds of civilians and fighters dead.
Since Thursday, more than 1,000 people—including Christian minorities and Alawites, the sect to which Assad belongs—have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) and local reports.The Context
The death toll from clashes that began late this week between security forces and al-Assad loyalists, as well as subsequent revenge killings, has climbed to more than 1,000, according to the SOHR, a war monitoring group, as reported by the Associated Press.
Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has vowed the new government will respect all communities and affiliations. He is working to gain international legitimacy and has recently met with regional leaders. However, this intense violence could undermine those efforts.
Syria has been mired in conflict for more than a decade, with the Syrian Civil War beginning in 2011, which included widespread human rights violations, sectarian violence, mass killings and displacement, as well as intense battles against ISIS factions.
The recent fatal clashes mark the worst violence since al-Assad was thrown out, with high casualties reported among religious minorities, including Alawites and Christians.What To Know
In late November, a rapid rebel offensive led by the Sunni Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which has Al-Qaeda origins, orchestrated the sudden downfall of decades-long Syrian President al-Assad. The former leader has since sought asylum in Moscow and HTS’s al-Sharaa has taken over the top government post.
On Thursday, clashes between Syrian government forces and pro-Assad forces in the coastal area of Jableh, a predominantly Alawite region, escalated to death tolls of over 200 people. The SOHR says the initial attacks started after government forces were working to detain a wanted person and were ambushed by al-Assad loyalists. Clashes have broken out in Latakia and Baniyas, among other areas.
In the following days, gunmen linked to the new government killed hundreds of people in the Alawite coastal areas in revenge attacks, according to SOHR, which documented at least 428 Alawite deaths. No official figures have been released.
