Syria Faces Deadliest Violence Since Assad’s Ouster
Hundreds have been killed in some of the worst violence in Syria’s 13-year civil war, as clashes between loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad and security forces of the country’s interim government escalate. The UN human rights chief on Sunday urged Syria’s new leaders to intervene and prevent mass killings in coastal regions.
The fighting, which has entered its fourth day in Assad’s former stronghold along the coast, has already claimed the lives of at least 1,000 people, mostly civilians, according to a war monitoring group.
A Syrian security source reported a slowdown in hostilities near Latakia, Jabla, and Baniyas as government forces conducted searches in surrounding mountainous areas, where an estimated 5,000 pro-Assad insurgents are believed to be hiding.
UN Urges Action to Prevent Mass Killings
On Sunday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called on Syria’s interim leadership to take immediate steps to halt reported mass killings and ensure accountability.
“The caretaker authorities’ pledges to uphold the rule of law must be backed by swift actions to protect civilians and prevent further abuses,” Türk said in a statement.
Interim Syrian leader Ahmed Sharaa, speaking at a mosque in Damascus’s Mazzah district, urged Syrians to resist sectarian divisions that could further destabilize the country.
“We must preserve national unity and peace. Syria has the resilience to survive these challenges,” Sharaa said in a video message.
Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham-led coalition overthrew Assad’s government in December. Assad fled to Russia, leaving behind top aides and supporters, while the new rulers established an interim government and took control of the armed forces.
After months of relative stability following Assad’s ouster, violence has surged as the new leadership cracks down on what it calls a growing insurgency from Assad’s Alawite sect in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 1,000 people have been killed in just two days of fighting, including 745 civilians, 125 members of Syria’s security forces, and 148 pro-Assad fighters.
Syrian security sources estimate their own casualties at over 200.
UN Security Council to Convene
Diplomatic sources confirmed that the United States and Russia have called for a closed-door United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Monday to address the escalating crisis.
Syrian authorities have blamed the violence, including summary executions and deadly home raids in minority communities, on “unruly armed militias.”
Overnight clashes continued in several towns, with armed groups targeting security forces and ambushing vehicles on major highways in the coastal region. Pro-Assad insurgents have also carried out hit-and-run attacks on key infrastructure, disrupting electricity, water supplies, and fuel depots.
International Reactions
United States
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the “massacres” of minority communities and urged the interim government to hold those responsible accountable.
“Syria’s interim authorities must ensure justice for the perpetrators of these heinous acts against minorities,” Rubio said in a statement.
United Kingdom
British Foreign Minister David Lammy also denounced the violence, calling the killings of civilians in northwestern Syria “horrific.”
“The authorities in Damascus must protect all Syrians and establish a clear path to transitional justice,” Lammy posted on X.
