Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian agency: Russia will conduct a nuclear test if the US does
Al-Nakhalah: We are the rightful owners, and we must fight to retrieve our rights
Al-Nakhalah: The enemy and its allies must know that we can never surrender to their terms and diktats after all the sacrifices made
Al-Nakhalah: The prisoner exchange clause can be completed in the next few days, and thus we will have pulled the [explosion] fuse and removed the enemy's justifications for aggression
Al-Nakhalah: The Resistance has expressed its willingness to negotiate on the basis that there are items that can be dealt with positively, the first of which is the prisoner exchange item
Al-Nakhalah: Trump's plan entails the Palestinian people's declaration of complete surrender to the enemy
PIJ Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, in an address aired on Al Mayadeen: The Resistance is engaging in a fierce negotiating battle under the so-called Trump plan
Russian Federation Council approves joint military cooperation agreement with Cuba
Al-Nunu: Today, the lists of prisoners required to be released, the agreed-upon criteria and numbers, were exchanged
Al-Nunu from Sharm el-Sheikh: Negotiations focused on mechanisms for implementing an end to the war, the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and the exchange of prisoners

Syria monitor says 69 Alawites executed by regime forces in Latakia

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 7 Mar 2025 22:06
4 Min Read

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reveals that 69 people were "executed" by the Syrian new regime during intense clashes that took place on the country's coast.

Listen
  • x
  • Reinforcement Syrian security forces deploy in Latakia, Syria, Friday, March 7, 2025 (AP)
    Reinforcement Syrian security forces deploy in Latakia, Syria, Friday, March 7, 2025 (AP)

Syrian security forces executed 69 members of the Alawite minority in western Syria following deadly clashes with what was claimed to be "gunmen loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad", the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

The Britain-based war monitor reported Friday that at least 147 people had been killed since the fighting erupted Thursday, marking the fiercest challenge to the new authorities since the toppling of the Assad regime in December.

The executions took place in the towns of al-Shir and al-Mukhtariya in the Latakia countryside. Verified videos and testimonies from relatives of the deceased confirmed the killings, the Observatory said.

Footage released by activists and the Observatory showed dozens of civilian-clothed bodies piled in a yard, with bloodstains visible and women wailing nearby. Another video depicted armed men ordering three individuals to crawl on the ground before executing them at close range. A third clip showed a soldier shooting a man in the doorway of a building. 

A source in Syria’s Interior Ministry, quoted by state news agency SANA, acknowledged the so-called “individual violations” but pledged to end them. "After remnants of the toppled regime assassinated security personnel, unorganized masses responded, leading to violations," the source stated. "We are working to stop these acts, which do not represent the Syrian people as a whole."

Curfews imposed in several areas

Following Thursday’s clashes—which left 78 dead, including 37 security personnel, 34 gunmen, and seven civilians—the new authorities imposed curfews in Latakia, Tartus, and Homs, three regions with significant Alawite populations. Security forces launched a crackdown targeting “remnants of Assad’s militias and their supporters,” an official cited by SANA said.

Related News

SDC condemns Turkish occupation of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad

Russia voices concern over clashes between SDF, government forces

One key operation took place in Qardaha, al-Assad’s hometown, where new authorities claimed they had detained General Ibrahim Huweija. In Jableh, another coastal town, a large-scale security sweep was underway, according to defense ministry spokesman Colonel Hassan Abdulghani, with several videos of summary executions surfacing online.

Local residents described an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. “All night, we heard gunfire and explosions,” said Ali, a farmer in Jableh. "Everyone's afraid... we're trapped at home and can’t go out."

Tensions escalated after gunmen loyal to former Assad-era special forces commander Suhail al-Hassan clashed with security forces in Beit Ana. When security personnel attempted to arrest a suspected arms dealer, they met resistance from local residents, leading to heavy fighting. In response, security forces conducted helicopter strikes, triggering protests from Alawite community leaders who condemned the attacks on civilian homes.

Protests and calls for Russian intervention

The violence has sparked protests among the Alawite community in Tartus and Latakia, with demonstrators gathering outside the Russian military base in Hmeimim. Protesters called for Russian intervention to protect the sect and urged Moscow to take the matter to the UN Security Council.

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent highlighted the growing sectarian mobilization, stating that tensions continue to escalate as clashes persist in rural areas of Latakia and Tartus between the Ministry of Defense, General Security, and armed groups. These confrontations have largely spared major urban centers.

Our correspondent added that while the cities of Tartus, Latakia, and Baniyas remain under the control of military operations authorities, some neighborhoods in Jableh and Qardaha remain outside government control.

Since early morning, dozens of military convoys have been deployed to the coastal region, only to fall into ambushes, further intensifying the conflict. Meanwhile, clashes spread to Homs on Thursday night, with targeted attacks on Alawite neighborhoods, including footage of direct strikes on residential homes.

Warnings against sectarian incitement

In response to the escalating violence, the Supreme Islamic Council for the Alawite Sect in Syria and the Diaspora issued a strongly worded statement condemning sectarian incitement and calls for mass killings, particularly following the circulation of chilling footage showing dozens of blood-soaked victims lying on the ground.

The council urged the UN Security Council to intervene under Chapter VII to protect the Alawite community and other minorities in the Syrian coastal region. According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, this statement marks the council’s most assertive stance to date, as it had previously worked to de-escalate tensions.

  • Syria
  • Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
  • Latakia
  • Alawite community

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025
Al-Quds Brigades strike a command and control center north of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, in an undated screengrab from the al-Quds Brigades military media

Gaza resistance announces major operations against Israeli forces

  • Politics
  • 1 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Retired Israeli General Brik says Israel has reached point of no return.
Politics

Retired Israeli General Brik: 'Israel has reached point of no return'

Depleted by foreign wars, US seeks to re-arm for another confrontation
Politics

Depleted by foreign wars, US seeks to re-arm for another confrontation

Gaza’s newborns gasp for life as hospitals collapse amid Israeli war
Health

Gaza newborns gasp for life, share oxygen masks amid collapsed system

UK arms exports to 'Israel' reach record high despite ban calls
Politics

UK arms exports to 'Israel' reach record high despite ban calls

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS