Syria Violence: Over 1,000 Killed in Two Days Due to Clash Between Security Forces and Assad Loyalists

Beirut: The death toll from two days of fighting between security forces and loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, along with acts of revenge killings, has surpassed 1,000, including nearly 750 civilians, according to a war monitoring group on Saturday. This marks one of the deadliest episodes of violence since the onset of Syria's conflict 14 years ago. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, reported that the casualties included 745 civilians, 125 government security personnel, and 148 fighters from groups loyal to Assad. The group also noted that large portions of the coastal city of Latakia were left without electricity and drinking water, while many bakeries in the region closed down.

Also Read: Assad Loyalists Kill at Least 13 Police Officers in Ambush on Syrian Forces in Coastal Town

The clashes, which began on Thursday, represent a significant escalation in the challenge faced by the new government in Damascus, just three months after insurgents seized control following the removal of President Bashar Assad. The government stated that it was responding to attacks from holdouts of Assad's forces and attributed the widespread violence to "individual actions."

The revenge killings, which started on Friday, were carried out by Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the government targeting members of Assad's Alawite sect. These attacks deal a severe blow to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the faction responsible for toppling the former regime. The Alawite sect had been a major pillar of support for Assad's government for decades.

Residents from Alawite villages and towns spoke to The Associated Press about incidents where gunmen shot Alawites—mostly men—on the streets or outside their homes. Many Alawite homes were looted and set on fire in various locations, according to two residents from Syria’s coastal region who spoke from their hideouts.

They requested anonymity for fear of being targeted by gunmen, explaining that thousands of people had fled to nearby mountains to seek safety. Residents of Baniyas, one of the hardest-hit towns, reported seeing bodies scattered on the streets or left unburied in homes and on building roofs, with no one able to retrieve them. One resident mentioned that gunmen prevented locals from collecting the bodies of five neighbors killed at close range on Friday for several hours.

Ali Sheha, a 57-year-old resident of Baniyas who fled with his family and neighbors shortly after the violence erupted on Friday, said at least 20 of his neighbors and colleagues, most of them Alawites, were killed—some in their shops, others in their homes. Sheha referred to the killings as "revenge attacks" on the Alawite community for the actions of Assad's government. Other residents claimed that the gunmen included foreign fighters and militants from surrounding villages and towns. "It was very very bad. Bodies were on the streets," Sheha recalled, speaking by phone from a location about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away. He described how the gunmen gathered less than 100 meters from his apartment building, firing randomly at homes and residents. In at least one instance, they demanded IDs to identify people's religion and sect before killing them. Sheha also reported that the gunmen set homes on fire, stole cars, and looted properties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitoring group, reported that 428 Alawites were killed in revenge attacks, along with 120 pro-Assad fighters and 89 members of the security forces. The Observatory’s head, Rami Abdurrahman, stated that the revenge killings ceased early on Saturday, describing the massacre of Alawite civilians as one of the deadliest in the Syrian conflict.

Previously, the group had reported more than 200 deaths, but no official figures have been disclosed. A funeral was held on Saturday afternoon for four members of the Syrian security forces who were killed during the clashes along the country's coast. Several attendees gathered in the northwestern village of Al-Janoudiya to mourn the fallen.

Syria's state news agency cited an unnamed official from the Defense Ministry, who claimed that government forces had regained control of much of the territory held by Assad loyalists. The official also mentioned that authorities had closed all roads leading to the coastal region to prevent further violations and to gradually restore order. On Saturday morning, residents said that the bodies of 31 people killed in revenge attacks on the previous day were buried in a mass grave in the central village of Tuwaym. Among the dead were nine children and four women.

(Inputs from AP)