More than 1,000 people have been killed in Syria following two days of violent clashes between security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad, followed by revenge killings, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The group reported that the violence, which erupted on Thursday, marks one of the deadliest episodes in Syria’s 14-year-long conflict.
The Observatory stated that among the casualties were 745 civilians, most of whom were killed in close-range shootings, along with 125 government security personnel and 148 militants affiliated with Assad. Large areas around the coastal city of Latakia have reportedly been left without electricity and drinking water.
According to dailymail reports, witnesses revealed how women were reportedly told to ‘walk naked’ before being shot dead amid horrifying scenes in Syria.
The clashes highlight growing resistance to the new government in Damascus, which took power three months ago after removing Assad. The government claims the violence was triggered by attacks from Assad’s remaining loyalists and has dismissed the bloodshed as a result of “individual actions.”
On Friday, armed Sunni Muslim factions loyal to the new government launched revenge attacks on members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, significantly undermining the authority of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham—the faction that led Assad’s ousting.
Alawite residents described gruesome scenes of killings, with gunmen executing victims in the streets or at their doorsteps. According to two residents hiding in Syria’s coastal region, many homes were looted before being set ablaze, forcing thousands to flee into nearby mountains for safety.
Baniyas, one of the worst-hit towns, witnessed bodies lying uncollected in streets and homes as residents were too afraid to retrieve them. A resident, Ali Sheha, 57, who fled with his family, recounted how at least 20 of his neighbors were executed in their shops or homes.
“It was a massacre,” Sheha told the Associated Press over the phone from 20 kilometers (12 miles) away. “Gunmen were less than 100 meters from my apartment, shooting randomly at homes and people.” Some attackers allegedly asked residents for identification to determine their sect before killing them.
Death toll rises, mass graves dug
The Observatory’s chief, Rami Abdurrahman, confirmed that revenge killings halted early Saturday but labeled the massacre one of the bloodiest in Syria’s conflict. The previous death toll stood at over 600, but the latest reports indicate more than 1,000 fatalities.
In the village of Tuwaym, residents buried 31 victims, including nine children and four women, in a mass grave on Saturday morning. Photos shared with the AP showed bodies wrapped in white cloth.
Government response and international reactions
Syria’s state news agency quoted a Defense Ministry official who stated that government forces had regained control over most areas seized by Assad loyalists. Authorities have also sealed off roads to the coastal region to restore order.
Meanwhile, Lebanese legislator Haidar Nasser reported that many Alawites were fleeing to Lebanon and the Russian air base in Hmeimim for protection. He called for international intervention to safeguard Alawites, claiming they have faced job dismissals and targeted killings since Assad’s removal.
France has expressed “deep concern” over the recent violence, condemning religiously motivated atrocities and attacks on prisoners. The French foreign ministry urged Syrian authorities to conduct independent investigations into the killings.
The latest wave of violence reportedly began when government forces attempted to detain a wanted individual near the coastal city of Jableh, only to be ambushed by Assad loyalists.