Syria is in flames, yet again; as deadly clashes between the Government Forces and the loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad claimed nearly 1,000 lives on March 8-9, 2025. The majority of those killed are reported to be innocent civilians. According to the local media, the Ruling Coalition has started selectively targeting the Alawites, an Arab ethnoreligious group that was fervently loyal to the al-Assad family and used to control the Military, Security Forces and Secret Police. Hence, the death toll may increase in the coming days.

al-Assad fled to Moscow and was granted political asylum by the Russian authorities soon after Damascus fell to rebel forces on the morning of December 8, 2024. Since then, the future of the Alawites has become uncertain. According to political analysts, they have become victims of revenge attacks and the development may trigger a fresh refugee crisis in West Asia, as well as in Europe. The Alawites are one of the largest religious minorities in Syria as the community accounts for 12% of the total population (of the West Asian country). Although this particular sect of Islam splintered from early Shia as a Ghulat branch during the 9th Century, their customs are quite different from that of the hardline Shiites. Historically, the Alawites are residents of the coastal regions of Syria and a significant portion of this community can be found in Latakia and Tartus‎. Conflicts have broken out in these two cities where the Alawites are killed indiscriminately.

In Syria, the political equation changed overnight after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Currently, an Interim Coalition Government, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel outfit, is ruling the country. The armed rebel groups, enjoying the power, belong to the Sunni Islamic sect who considers the Alawites as their enemy. According to analysts, the Alawites are being targeted across Syria mainly because of three reasons. Rebels who captured Damascus in December 2024 want the loyalists of al-Assad not to pose a threat to them. Hence, they are targeting the Alawites. Secondly, the former President allowed the Alawites to enjoy all the privileges, instead of recruiting the top military and government officials on the basis of merit. Hence, all other communities hate the Alawites. Thirdly, all the HTS rebels are hardline Sunni Islamists who cannot tolerate the Alawites due to their religious differences.

Political analysts are of the opinion that unconditional loyalty to al-Assad has created troubles for the Alawites since the fall of the dictator. Eyewitnesses have described the horrific scenes in their villages. A member of this Turkish Shia religious group has stressed: “Gunmen lined up innocent citizens on the streets and opened fire. They mainly targeted the men. After committing the genocide, the gunmen looted the residences of the Alawites, prompting thousands of people to flee their villages and to take refuge in nearby mountains.” Baniyas is one of the most affected areas where a huge number of bodies could not be buried.

Ali Sheha, a 57-year-old resident who fled with his family, described a massacre in his neighbourhood, stating that at least 20 Alawites were killed near his residence. According to Sheha, some were executed in their shops, while others inside their homes. “It was very very bad. Bodies were on the streets. The gunmen were firing at random people, asking for IDs to check people’s sect before killing them,” he told the press.

Meanwhile, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has mentioned in its report that nearly 745 civilians were shot at close range as the gunmen also killed another 125 government security personnel and 148 militants linked to al-Assad-affiliated armed groups. The SOHR has further claimed that the Syrian Security Forces executed at least 162 Alawites in field executions in Latakia, a stronghold of al-Assad. The Syrian Interior Ministry, too, has acknowledged “individual violations” along the coast and vowed to take action. The fighting has left large parts of Latakia without electricity and drinking water.

France has expressed “deep concern” over the killing of innocent people in Syria, strongly condemning atrocities committed on religious grounds. In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry urged the Syrian Interim Government to ensure independent investigations into the mass killings. For the new Ruling Coalition, the clashes erupted on March 6, 2025 are a major challenge. Initially, the Interim Government stated that it was responding to attacks from remnants of al-Assad’s forces, downplaying the killings as isolated incidents. However, the escalation of violence threatens the authority of HTS and its leader Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani) who played a significant role in removing al-Assad from power.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das