Syrian interim President Ahmed Shala'a has issued a plea for peace as the country endures its worst violence in over a decade, with serious allegations leveled against some of his supporters. Human rights monitors report intense clashes in recent days in Syria's western coastal region between pro-government forces and militants purportedly loyal to the former Assad regime, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians.
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03-10, 2025Syrian government security forces and militants loyal to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) are accused of carrying out revenge killings and executions against members of Syria's Alawite minority. Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group led by Shala'a, ousted the brutal Assad regime late last year.
While not explicitly addressing the allegations against his supporters, the Syrian leader called for calm on Sunday while addressing worshippers heading to a mosque in Damascus. "What is happening in this country is a challenge, but it is also something that can be anticipated. We must preserve the country's unity and domestic peace as much as possible. We are able to live together in this country," he stated.
Fighting intensified in the western provinces of Latakia and Tartus late last week after Assad loyalists launched a series of attacks on government infrastructure. Fadel Abdul Ghany, executive director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), stated that there is evidence of Russian and Iranian involvement in the attacks. "We have indications that these attacks were carried out in coordination with the Russian-controlled Hmeimim Air Base. Records leaked by some Assad remnants indicate that there was coordination between them. Many Iranian media outlets also highlighted these attacks after they occurred, and there was mobilization behind these attacks."
Former President Bashar al-Assad, who sought refuge in Russia after being ousted, belongs to Syria's Alawite community. Alawites comprise approximately 10% of the country's population. Syrian authorities are blaming the alleged revenge killings on armed militias that came to support government forces and are venting their long-held grievances against the former Assad regime on Alawite members. Reports on the number of deaths in the fighting vary. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday that 745 civilians had been killed in the country's west. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) stated that non-state armed groups, namely pro-Assad militants, killed 148 civilians. The SNHR said that the country's security forces and affiliated groups killed at least 327 civilians and disarmed militants.
The Syrian presidency announced on Sunday that an independent commission would be established to investigate what happened in the country's west. This followed calls for action from the United Nations. "The acting authorities announced that they intend to respect the law, and swift action must be taken to protect Syrians, including taking all necessary measures to prevent any violations and abuses, and to hold those responsible accountable when these occur," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in a statement. The United States has also joined in criticizing the attacks. "The United States condemns radical Islamic terrorists, including foreign jihadists, who have murdered people in western Syria in recent days," said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.
