Over 1100 Civilians Killed; What is Happening in Coastal Syria?

On March 11, the Syrian Transitional Government's Ministry of Defense announced that military operations in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus against the 'remnants of the Assad regime' have achieved their objectives, and efforts to restore normal life and stabilize security are ongoing. This announcement follows the uproar that arose after these operations. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, various areas in the coastal provinces witnessed 'sectarian and regional' purges, resulting in the deaths of over 1100 civilians, including women and children. This is the most unprecedented violence in Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8 of this year. What happened on the Syrian coast? Western Syria witnessed violence that rapidly escalated from the evening of March 6. Security forces and the new Syrian army were targeted in several areas by attacks from the 'remnants of the Assad regime,' resulting in dozens of deaths. Videos of these attacks have been shared on social media accounts of Syrian users, showing the bodies of security forces and the Syrian army. Tensions began on March 5 in the village of 'Bait Aana' in the suburbs of Jableh city in Latakia province, the home of the Assad family. On that day, 'unknown armed individuals' opened fire on a military patrol affiliated with the internal security organization. This village is significant as it is the birthplace of 'General Suhail al-Hassan,' the commander of the former Syrian Army's 25th Division, a prominent military figure in Bashar al-Assad's regime. In response to this event, Syrian security agencies dispatched reinforcements equipped with machine guns and helicopters to 'Bait Aana.' However, tensions escalated quickly, leading to coordinated attacks by armed groups against dozens of positions of the new Syrian government's security forces in coastal areas, specifically in the suburbs of Latakia, Tartus, and the villages of Jableh. Following the escalation of tensions, security forces were ambushed on March 5 by armed individuals in over 10 ambushes, one of the most significant occurring in the suburbs of Jableh, where at least 13 police officers affiliated with the new Syrian government's Ministry of Interior were killed. In response to these attacks, the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian Transitional Government ordered all military and security forces to be on alert and dispatched military convoys from Idlib, the outskirts of Aleppo, and Homs towards the coastal provinces; these convoys were ambushed before reaching Latakia. Subsequently, the Syrian Ministry of Defense used 'Shaheen' drones to target the movements of armed groups. As the clashes continued, some military convoys were forced to change their routes, while intense fighting persisted on multiple fronts. Syrian security forces identify those they call 'the remnants of the Assad regime' as responsible for the attacks on their patrols and forces. The new rulers of Syria accuse 'foreign parties' of supporting 'the remnants of the Assad regime,' with some media outlets implicating Iran as well. On March 11, Ismail Baqaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described these accusations as 'baseless.' As the fighting continued, names began to circulate in Syrian media and social networks of those referred to as 'commanders of the recent events,' including 'Ghiath Dala,' one of the commanders of the former Syrian Army's Fourth Division, who operated under Maher al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's brother. 'Ghiath Dala' had previously announced the formation of a 'Military Council for the Liberation of Syria.' The name 'Ibrahim Hawija,' the former head of the Syrian intelligence agency, was also repeated; he is accused of involvement in dozens of assassinations, including the assassination of 'Kamal Jumblatt,' the former leader of the Druze in Lebanon. Mr. Hawija was arrested by the new Syrian government during the recent clashes. The head of security in Latakia province also accused General 'Suhail al-Hassan' of commanding 'the remnants of the Assad regime.' With the escalation of tensions, street protests began in various regions of Syria. In Damascus, Idlib, and even parts of Latakia and Tartus, demonstrations were held against 'the remnants of the Assad regime.' On the other hand, dozens of Alawites protested against the bombing of their areas by the new Syrian army. These tensions led military officials to declare a 'curfew' in Latakia and Tartus provinces. Reports of the execution of civilians by armed groups allied with the Syrian government emerged on social media and in the media during the events of March 16 and 17. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors internal developments in the country using a network of local sources, reported that the coastal regions of Syria and the mountains of Latakia witnessed 'sectarian and regional purges,' resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. According to this report, 'women and children are among the victims who were killed as a result of war crimes, gross violations by security forces, Ministry of Defense forces, and their allies, in the absence of legal deterrence.' The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added that it has documented the deaths of over 1100 civilians in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, Hama, and Homs. Some Syrian security forces, through social media videos and local sources, accused the 'Suleiman Shah' and 'Hamza' brigades of being involved in the 'massacre' of civilians under the pretext of fighting 'the remnants of the Assad regime.' These two military formations are allied with the new Syrian government, which confirmed the presidency of 'Ahmad al-Shara' during the transitional period. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that these two armed formations had previously been involved in actions against civilians in the outskirts of Aleppo province, which led to them being sanctioned by the United States in 2023. Ahmad al-Shara, the interim president of Syria, threatened the remnants of the Assad regime, whom he claimed were receiving foreign support, that there would be no more tolerance towards them. He also promised to punish those whose 'hands are stained with the blood of civilians.' Mr. al-Shara announced the formation of a truth-finding committee to investigate the events in the coastal areas and punish the perpetrators. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a strongly worded statement condemning the events in Syria, said that 'the United States condemns the extremist Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadists, who have killed civilians in western Syria in recent days.' He emphasized Washington's support for minorities in Syria and urged the interim government to punish those responsible for the massacre of minorities.