People gather for a mass demonstration in Qamishli, Syria, on March 11 to protest a wave of violence targeting Syria’s Alawite minority. (Photo by AFP)
Three Alawites have been killed in western Syria, a war monitor says, coming in the wake of another report that nearly 8,000 civilians have been killed under the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.
The Alawite population has suffered recurring assaults since the HTS overtook the country last December.
According to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), local armed groups killed three civilians in Baruha village near the Lebanese border and torched shops and vehicles.
The deaths come hours after Syria's SANA news agency reported that a security officer had been killed in an attack in the Tal Kalakh area.
Over the last five days, at least 18 Alawites have been killed in a new wave of violence targeting the minority group.
The SOHR said Monday at least 7,670 people, mainly civilians, have been killed under the HTS rule in Syria since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Noting that 75 percent of all the deaths are civilians, the report added that among those killed are 5,784 civilians, including 306 children and 422 women.
“This grim toll is a result of ongoing violence and violations by local and external parties, alongside widespread security chaos,” which reflects “the fragility of the security situation and the increasing danger to the most vulnerable constituents of society”, the SOHR said.
It also warned of a “pattern of organized violence” across the country.
The HTS, a former branch of al-Qaeda, along with other militants, seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024, after Assad, a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, left the country.
The HTS administration has since been accused of flagrant violations of human rights in Syria, particularly against minorities, namely Syria's Alawite minority, drawing widespread condemnations from the international community.
Since the collapse of Assad’s government, Syria has also faced a widespread Israeli occupation and regular bombardment. The Israeli military has been launching airstrikes against military installations, facilities, and arsenals belonging to the country’s now-defunct army.
