The death toll from two days of violent clashes on Syria’s coast has risen to more than 1,000, including nearly 750 civilians, according to a war monitoring group cited by AP. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Saturday that the violence, one of the deadliest outbreaks since Syria’s war began 14 years ago, involved security forces, armed groups loyal to ousted President Bashar Assad, and retaliatory attacks.
The Observatory stated that the dead included 745 civilians, 125 government security personnel, and 148 pro-Assad militants. The unrest has also led to power and water cuts in large areas around the coastal city of Latakia, with many bakeries shutting down.
The clashes, which began on Thursday, have escalated tensions in Syria just three months after insurgents took control and removed Assad from power. The new government claims it was responding to attacks from remnants of Assad’s forces, blaming “individual actions” for the widespread violence.
Syria Revenge Killings
On Friday, Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the government launched retaliatory attacks against members of the Alawite sect, to which Assad belongs. These revenge killings have dealt a major blow to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the faction that led Assad’s removal. The Alawite community had been a strong supporter of Assad’s rule for decades.
Eyewitnesses in Alawite villages recounted scenes of gunmen shooting people, mostly men, in the streets or at their doorsteps. Homes were looted and set on fire. Some residents, speaking from hiding, said thousands had fled to the mountains for safety. “Bodies were on the streets,” said one resident from Baniyas, a town severely affected by the violence, reported AP.
Ali Sheha, a 57-year-old resident of Baniyas, described the horror he witnessed before fleeing with his family. “At least 20 of my neighbors and colleagues were killed in their shops or homes,” he said. “It was revenge for crimes committed by Assad’s government.” He added that some gunmen checked residents’ identification cards before deciding whether to kill them. “They were shooting randomly at homes, setting fire to buildings, and looting properties,” he recalled from a location about 20 kilometers away from Baniyas.
Meanwhile, UN officials have voiced alarm over the worsening situation in Syria. On Saturday, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria Adam Abdelmoula and Ramesh Rajasingham, director of the Coordination Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the escalation.
The Observatory reported that 428 Alawites were killed in revenge attacks, along with 120 pro-Assad fighters and 89 security personnel. Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman confirmed that the revenge killings had stopped by early Saturday. “This was one of the biggest massacres during the Syrian conflict,” he said.
Syria’s state news agency quoted an unnamed Defense Ministry official saying that government forces had regained control over much of the affected areas. Authorities have closed roads leading to the coastal region to prevent further violence and restore order.
The most recent wave of violence reportedly started when government forces attempted to detain a wanted person near the coastal city of Jableh and were ambushed by Assad loyalists, according to the Observatory.
(With agency inputs)
