Over 300 Syrian Alawite civilians killed in latest killings
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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports the execution-style killings of 311 Alawite civilians by security forces and allied groups in Syria’s coastal region.
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Syrian new administration forces are deployed in Latakia, Syria, on Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP)
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that "311 Alawite civilians were killed in the coastal region... by security forces and allied groups" since Thursday. The killings were described as executions carried out by security personnel or pro-government fighters, accompanied by "looting of homes and properties."
With these new deaths, the overall toll has risen to 524 people, "including 93 members of the new government’s security forces and 120 pro-Assad fighters", as per the report.
هذا المشهد يؤكد عدم وجود معركة اصلا في الساحل السوري وإنما تصفيات على الهوية.
— محمد البخيتي(Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti) (@M_N_Albukhaiti) March 8, 2025
عنصران من جماعة الجولاني يتجولان بأمان في احدى القرى على دراجة نارية وكأنهما في نزة بحثا عمن تبقى من احياء لقتلهم.
يلمحان رجلا عجوزا يقول احدهم مبتسما كمشتك وينزل من على الدراجة بأريحية ويقتله بدم بارد pic.twitter.com/NNN1y4bNB4
State news agency SANA reported that "deposed regime remnants" launched an attack on a national hospital in Latakia, which was repelled by security forces.
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa urged insurgents on Friday to "lay down your weapons and surrender before it's too late." Western powers and Syria’s neighbors have stressed the importance of unity in rebuilding a nation devastated by war.
The Observatory, based in Britain, has reported several massacres in recent days, with women and children among the victims.
فى شهر رمضان ، دواعش الجولانى تقتل عائلة سورية في الساحل السوري!! pic.twitter.com/lF7reXlJvZ
— Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. (@drhossamsamy65) March 8, 2025
"The vast majority of the victims were summarily executed by elements affiliated with the Ministry of Defense and the Interior," the rights group stated.
Activists released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing outside a house, with blood stains and women mourning. Other videos appeared to show men in military attire shooting civilians at close range.
مشاهد لمجازر بحق المدنيين في ريف #اللاذقية.#الميادين pic.twitter.com/sUyYWZQbaz
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) March 7, 2025
Graphic footage was widely circulated on social media platforms, documenting egregious war crimes. Some videos documented the moment several unarmed Syrian citizens were shot dead by security forces, several of whom were also humiliated before being executed.
A list of the massacres committed in Syria on March 7, 2025
The SOHR has released a detailed list of locations where these atrocities were committed, providing a comprehensive account of the escalating violence across Syria. The documented sites are as follows:
Baniyas, Tartus countryside
60 civilians were killed in the city of Baniyas, including 10 women and 5 children.
The SOHR said that the victims were executed by gunfire in an "intense attack".
Dweir Baabda, Beit Aana, Jableh countryside, Latakia
7 civilians were shot dead directly.
Al-Shir village, Latakia countryside
24 civilians were killed in a mass summary execution.
Al-Mukhtariyah village, Al-Haffa region, Latakia
38 civilians were shot at close range.
Al-Haffa town, Latakia
7 civilians succumbed to severe gunshot wounds sustained to their heads or chests.
Yahmour, Tartus countryside
Two young men attempting to flee the village were shot dead.
Salhab, Hama countryside
Sheikh Shaaban Mansour and his son were executed after being detained by authorities, according to SOHR.
It is worth noting that the 90-year-old Alawite Sheikh's dead body was found lying on the road on Friday.
Qarfis village, Latakia
22 civilians were killed in an attack targeting village homes.
SOHR calls on international community to take action
The SOHR described the actions as grave human rights violations, calling on the international community to take immediate action by dispatching specialized investigative teams to document them.
Urging Syrian authorities to hold accountable the security and defense personnel involved in the executions, the Observatory warned that "impunity will only encourage the repetition of such crimes in the future, posing a serious threat to Syria's political and societal stability in the post-Assad era."
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