Syria Faces Deadly Clashes as New Leadership Calls for Stability
Will Coppola
Staff Writer
Over one thousand people were killed during two days of fighting in Syria, in clashes between government forces and insurgents loyal to the recently deposed regime of Bashar al Assad. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the recent violence has been some of the deadliest of the country’s fourteen-year-long civil war, reports BBC News.
The fighting broke out in the coastal cities of Latakia, Jableh, and Tartus after insurgents ambushed government forces detaining Assad supporters. Two days of intense fighting between government-backed security forces and insurgents followed. BBC News states that 231 government forces and 250 Assad loyalists were killed.
An overwhelming number of the dead were civilians, with the civilian death toll reaching 830, many killed at close range. Most of the dead were Alawites, a Shi’ite sect of Islam that makes up only 10 percent of the Syrian population. The former President of Syria, Bashar al Assad, was a member of the Alawite community and according to , appointed many Alawites to top positions in his government. This led to feelings of resentment among non-Alawite Syrians and may have played a role in the violence. Witnesses reported gunmen executing civilians at point-blank range, often killing them after determining their religious affiliation.
Syria’s current President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has publicly denounced the killings of civilians. In a televised speech, President al-Sharaa stated, “No one will be above the law and anyone whose hands are stained with the blood of Syrians will face justice sooner rather than later.” According to The New York Times, President al-Sharaa has ordered the creation of an independent committee to investigate the killings. Still, Al Jazeera reports that Syrian state media blames the violence on the pro-Assad insurgents. However, even President al-Sharaa admitted that revenge contributed to the violence.
Several countries, including many allies of the former president, have condemned the violence and President al-Sharaa’s government. Iran, one of Assad’s staunchest allies, has condemned the killing of Shi’ite Alawites and demanded that the government take more steps to protect them. Officials from neighboring Lebanon have also denounced the violence and said that Alawite refugees are entering the country to escape the violence. reports that several Alawites are taking shelter in a Russian military base. Another Assad ally, the Khmeimin Air Base, projects Russian power in the region, but its presence is in jeopardy under the new regime. Many Alawites have also protested outside of the Russian military base, demanding Russian protection.
The violence along the coast has presented the most severe challenge for President al-Sharaa’s government since Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the insurgent group he leads, ousted former President Assad in December of 2024. Although President al-Sharaa is the nominal leader of the country, several armed factions maintain control over different parts of the country. President al-Sharaa has used the recent violence to reiterate his calls for national unity and the creation of a unified army. The New York Times reports that while many armed groups have agreed to the president’s demand for a single military, few have done so.
However, the government has had some major victories, such as the recent merger of the Kurdish-controlled Northeast and the national government. Until March 10, the region was managed and protected by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed faction. Reuters reports that President al-Sharaa and the leader of the SDF, Mazloum Abdi, have signed an agreement merging the two factions into a unified Syrian government. It remains to be seen in the coming days if President al-Sharaa’s government can maintain unity in the country or if Syria will once again descend into civil war.
Image courtesy of Getty Images.
