Syria's leader, Ahmed Sharaa, has called for peace following days of clashes in which Syrian security forces allegedly killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite religious minority.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the fighting in Syria, reported that approximately 745 civilians were killed in 30 "massacres" targeting Alawites on the west coast over Friday and Saturday. The BBC has been unable to independently verify this death toll, which is believed to be the worst since the fall of the Assad regime.
President Sharaa stated, "We must preserve national unity and civil peace as much as possible... we will be able to live together in this country."
The total death toll from the past four days of fighting has exceeded 1,000 people, according to the Syrian Observatory. This includes around 125 fighters connected to the new Islamist-led government and 148 pro-Assad fighters. Reuters reported that sources within the new Syrian government indicated that at least 200 fighters had been killed.
Speaking from a mosque in Damascus on Sunday, the interim president described the current situation in Syria as "within the expected challenges." However, he did not directly address allegations of atrocities committed by his supporters in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus.
On Sunday, Syrian media also reported that clashes between government forces and Assad loyalists occurred at a gas power plant in Banias, a city located approximately halfway between Latakia and Tartus. The recent violence was triggered by ambushes on government forces on Thursday, which a Syrian defense ministry spokesman described to the Sana state news agency as "treacherous attacks" against security personnel. This situation has escalated into intense fighting between Assad loyalists and government forces.
Amid the chaos, hundreds of civilians living along the Mediterranean coast have fled their homes. The provinces of Latakia and Tartus were strongholds of the deposed president Bashar al-Assad, who belongs to the Alawite minority. Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam, make up about 10% of Syria's population, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim.
An activist in Latakia reported that the violence has left the Alawite community in "a state of horror." Large crowds have sought refuge at a Russian military base in Hmeimim, Latakia, with video footage from Reuters showing dozens of people chanting, "People want Russian protection" outside the base. Local media also indicated that many families have fled to neighboring Lebanon.
The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed deep alarm over "very troubling reports of civilian casualties" in the coastal areas and urged all parties to refrain from actions that could further destabilize the country and jeopardize a "credible and inclusive political transition."
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, described the killings of Alawites in Latakia and Tartous as "systematic" and "extremely dangerous," accusing Syria's interim government of failing to manage the crisis. He noted, "It was expected that after the fall of the Assad government, Syria would face a difficult transition. But the scale of violence now unfolding is unprecedented and deeply troubling."
Iran's government had aligned itself with Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, which was toppled last December after decades of oppressive rule and a devastating 14-year-long civil war. Syria's leader, Ahmed Sharaa, has called for peace following days of clashes in which Syrian security forces allegedly killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite religious minority.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the fighting in Syria, reported that approximately 745 civilians were killed in 30 "massacres" targeting Alawites on the west coast over Friday and Saturday. The BBC has been unable to independently verify this death toll, which is believed to be the worst since the fall of the Assad regime.
President Sharaa stated, "We must preserve national unity and civil peace as much as possible... we will be able to live together in this country."
The total death toll from the past four days of fighting has exceeded 1,000 people, according to the Syrian Observatory. This includes around 125 fighters connected to the new Islamist-led government and 148 pro-Assad fighters. Reuters reported that sources within the new Syrian government indicated that at least 200 fighters had been killed.
Speaking from a mosque in Damascus on Sunday, the interim president described the current situation in Syria as "within the expected challenges." However, he did not directly address allegations of atrocities committed by his supporters in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus.
On Sunday, Syrian media also reported that clashes between government forces and Assad loyalists occurred at a gas power plant in Banias, a city located approximately halfway between Latakia and Tartus. The recent violence was triggered by ambushes on government forces on Thursday, which a Syrian defense ministry spokesman described to the Sana state news agency as "treacherous attacks" against security personnel. This situation has escalated into intense fighting between Assad loyalists and government forces.
Amid the chaos, hundreds of civilians living along the Mediterranean coast have fled their homes. The provinces of Latakia and Tartus were strongholds of the deposed president Bashar al-Assad, who belongs to the Alawite minority. Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam, make up about 10% of Syria's population, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim.
An activist in Latakia reported that the violence has left the Alawite community in "a state of horror." Large crowds have sought refuge at a Russian military base in Hmeimim, Latakia, with video footage from Reuters showing dozens of people chanting, "People want Russian protection" outside the base. Local media also indicated that many families have fled to neighboring Lebanon.
The UN's special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed deep alarm over "very troubling reports of civilian casualties" in the coastal areas and urged all parties to refrain from actions that could further destabilize the country and jeopardize a "credible and inclusive political transition."
Iran's ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, described the killings of Alawites in Latakia and Tartous as "systematic" and "extremely dangerous," accusing Syria's interim government of failing to manage the crisis. He noted, "It was expected that after the fall of the Assad government, Syria would face a difficult transition. But the scale of violence now unfolding is unprecedented and deeply troubling."
Iran's government had aligned itself with Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, which was toppled last December after decades of oppressive rule and a devastating 14-year-long civil war.
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