Clashes between Syrian security forces and supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad have led to the deaths of more than 1,000 people, including over 700 civilians.
According to a report by the British media outlet BBC on Sunday (March 9), citing a war monitoring group, continued violence along Syria’s coast has resulted in significant civilian casualties, particularly among the Alawite religious minority.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that nearly 745 civilians were killed in approximately 30 mass killings targeting the Alawite community on Friday and Saturday.
The BBC noted that it could not independently verify these claims.
The conflict has forced hundreds of people to flee the region, which is known as the stronghold of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, himself a member of the Alawite minority.
According to SOHR, the death toll over the past two days is the highest since Assad’s government was overthrown by rebels in December last year. The casualties include a significant number of government troops and pro-Assad fighters involved in clashes in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus since last Thursday.
The SOHR report indicates that around 125 members of Islamist-led government security forces and 148 pro-Assad fighters were killed in the violence.
A spokesperson for Syria’s Defense Ministry told state news agency SANA that the government had re-established control following a “treacherous attack” on its security personnel.
The United Nations’ Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed deep concern over the “extremely disturbing reports of civilian casualties” in Syria’s coastal region. He urged all parties to refrain from actions that could destabilize the country and hinder “credible and inclusive political change.”