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More than 1,000 people have been killed in two days of clashes between the forces of Syria’s Islamist government and fighters from the Alawite minority on the country’s coast, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on March 8.
A rebellion broke out on the Syrian coast on March 6 following a series of violations by government forces and affiliated militias against the Alawites, with officers from the former Syrian Arab Army leading the move. The Alawites, an offshoot of Islam Shiite, are Syria’s largest minority group. The family of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad belongs to the sect.
The rebels saw initial success in Latakia, Qardaha, Jableh, Banias and Tartus. However, they were overpowered by government forces which brought in large reinforcements on March 7. For the next two days, a series of massacres against Alawites civilians were reported.
According to the latest count by the SOHR, 745 civilians have been killed in at least 29 different massacres so far, with Alawites making the vast majority of the victimes.
The London-based monitoring group said that 125 members of the Syrian government forces and 148 rebels have also been killed.
Responding to the events, Russia opened its Khmeimim Air Base near Jableh for some seven thousand Alawites refugees and called on all “respected” leaders of the country to stop the bloodshed. Israel also slammed the Syrian government for the killings.
Meanwhile, Turkey and most Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, voiced their support for the Syrian government. The European Union also appeared to have sided with the government in a recent statement addressing the situation on the country’s coast.
Despite the high civilian death count, Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, said on March 8 that the current developments were within “expected Challenges.”
The United States has not yet weighed on the situation on the Syrian coast. Unlike the former Joe Biden administration, the administration of President Donlad Trump has shown little to no interest in engaging with the Syrian government.
Considering that many key figures of the administration, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, have already voiced their concern over the Islamist nature of the Syrian government and its links to al-Qaeda, it is possible that Trump could take a hardline position against al-Sharaa.
Figures close to Trump, like his personal advisor Elon Musk and journalist Tucker Carlson, have talked about the killings on the Syrian coast.
And while it is far-fetched to expect the U.S. to intervene militarily, Washington could give the green light to Israel to take action.
Many Alawite activists have already called on Israel to intervene, citing the lack of any international interest in their cause and the lack of any regional efforts to end the government’s crackdown.
Israel has already spread its influence over Syria’s southern region under the pretext of protecting its security and guarding the Druze minority. Many Israeli officials have also called for the decentralization of Syria. If the Syrian government continues with its current discriminatory policies, this will be the most likely outcome.
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