Wave of Deadly Violence on the Syrian Coast: A Confessional Massacre on the Rise

1,500 Dead in Three Days: Horror Strikes the Syrian Coast

Since March 6, 2025, the Syrian coast has plunged into horror with an unprecedented wave of violence following the rise to power of the Islamist group HTS. Armed men supporting this new regime have primarily targeted civilians from the Alawite sect, a branch of Islam linked to the former dictator Bashar al-Assad. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 973 civilians, including women and children, have been killed in three days. This tragic toll brings the total number of deaths to 1,500, including members of security forces and pro-Assad fighters who were killed in these violent clashes.

Targeted Executions and Methodical Massacres

The violence was triggered by a bloody attack on March 6 in Jablé, near Latakia, the heart of the Alawite minority, where supporters of the fallen regime targeted security forces. In response, the authorities sent reinforcements to neighboring provinces, but it was the civilians who paid the heaviest price, fleeing their homes to escape increasingly methodical massacres. Heart-wrenching testimonies from survivors, such as Rihab Kamel, who saw streets full of corpses in Banias, illustrate the brutality of this campaign of terror.

Violence has hit particularly hard in cities like Banias and Jablé, where armed groups executed civilians and committed atrocities. Samir Haïdar, who narrowly escaped death, recounts how armed men killed all the members of his family. In other regions like al-Haffah, civilians were killed indiscriminately. Some bodies were even thrown into the sea or buried in mass graves, adding to the horror of the situation.

The Confessional Massacre and Solidarity Despite Everything

The confessional nature of the massacres is clear, with assailants asking the fatal question at checkpoints: “Are you Alawites?” This violence, which has not been limited to the Alawite community, has also targeted many innocent Christians, according to testimonies from the Patriarch of Antioch. The situation has revealed a deep fracture within the country, exacerbated by religious and political rivalries.

Despite these atrocities, acts of solidarity are emerging, with Syrians from different sects helping each other in the face of hatred. However, the identity of the assailants remains unclear, with some witnesses believing they were foreign fighters, such as Uzbeks or Chechens. The UN, the United States, and the international community have condemned the violence, calling for an investigation into these atrocities. Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Chareh has promised to pursue the perpetrators of these crimes and open an inquiry to bring them to justice.

Despite promises of stability, the country remains gripped by intense violence, exacerbated by factional tensions and the fragility of the government. The violence on the Syrian coast reflects the instability of the current regime, supported by radical jihadists who view the Alawite community as enemies, and a situation that seems far from resolved.