Syria: Leader vows justice after Alawite massacres amid rising bloodshed

File source: BBC

Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to bring to justice those responsible for the recent wave of violence that left hundreds of civilians dead, vowing that “no one will be above the law.”

His statement follows a series of brutal clashes, including alleged massacres of Alawite civilians along Syria’s western coast, marking the deadliest violence since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December.

A UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported that at least 830 Alawite civilians were killed in attacks across Latakia and Tartous on Friday and Saturday. The organization also confirmed that 231 security forces and 250 pro-Assad fighters were killed, bringing the total death toll to 1,311. The BBC has not independently verified these figures.

In a speech broadcast on national television and shared on social media, Sharaa accused remnants of Assad’s regime and their foreign backers of attempting to ignite further conflict. “Today, as we stand at this critical moment, we find ourselves facing a new danger — attempts by remnants of the former regime and their foreign backers to incite new strife and drag our country into a civil war, aiming to divide it and destroy its unity and stability,” he declared.

He promised firm action against those responsible for civilian deaths. “We affirm that we will hold accountable, firmly and without leniency, anyone who is involved in the bloodshed of civilians or harming our people, who overstepped the powers of the state or exploits authority to achieve his own ends,” Sharaa said. “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.”

On Sunday, Sharaa announced via Telegram that an independent committee had been formed to investigate violations against civilians and identify those responsible.

While he called for national unity, he did not directly address allegations that his own supporters were behind some of the atrocities in Latakia and Tartous. “God willing, we will be able to live together in this country,” he said in a separate address from a Damascus mosque.

The violence was triggered by ambushes on government forces last Thursday, which escalated into widespread clashes between Assad loyalists and government troops. A Syrian defense ministry spokesman described the attacks as “treacherous” and accused Assad loyalists of attempting to destabilize the country.

As fighting raged, hundreds of civilians fled coastal areas, with many seeking refuge at a Russian military base in Hmeimim, Latakia. Footage shared by Reuters showed crowds outside the base chanting, “People want Russian protection.” Others fled to neighboring Lebanon, according to local media reports.

The Alawite community, which comprises about 10% of Syria’s predominantly Sunni Muslim population, has been left in “a state of horror,” an activist in Latakia told the BBC.

The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed alarm over “very troubling reports of civilian casualties,” urging all sides to avoid actions that could further destabilize the country. UN human rights chief Volker Türk echoed these concerns, calling for “prompt, transparent, and impartial investigations” into the violence.

Iran, a longtime ally of the Assad regime, also condemned the killings. Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, described the attacks on Alawites as “systematic” and accused Syria’s interim government of failing to control the crisis. “It was expected that after the fall of the Assad government, Syria would face a difficult transition,” Amani said. “But the scale of violence now unfolding is unprecedented and deeply troubling.”

The latest bloodshed highlights the fragile state of Syria’s post-Assad transition. Assad, an Alawite himself, was deposed after decades of repressive rule and a nearly 14-year-long civil war that ravaged the nation. With tensions escalating, Sharaa’s ability to restore stability and enforce justice remains under intense scrutiny.