Human rights organizations reported that around 900 civilians, many of them belonging to the Alawite minority, were killed by forces loyal to the government in the coastal region of Syria in early March. This area, historically controlled by the Alawite regime, witnessed a massacre after pro-government fighters attacked the security forces of the new government on March 6.
According to testimonies and reports from humanitarian groups, the following day a wave of indiscriminate reprisals targeting Alawite civilians erupted in villages like Sanobar. One of the accused, Abu Khalid, confessed to participating in the events as an armed civilian in Sanobar on March 7.
Although some government units attempted to protect civilians from extremist groups, they were unable to prevent the massacre. The coastal region, despite being isolated from the conflict in other parts of Syria, proved vulnerable to the sectarian tensions prevailing in the country.
The Alawite community, which represents about 10% of the Syrian population and is associated with power in Syria, has been the target of reprisals since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. The lack of accountability, the presence of unofficial militias, and the ambiguity in the role of the security forces raise concerns about potential escalations of violence in the region.
Reports indicate summary executions, coordinated attacks against Alawite villagers, and clashes between local militias and security forces. Although Abu Khalid claimed to act under the supervision of the government, he was recorded while killing an unarmed civilian, contradicting his version that the victim was an armed insurgent.
These events in Sanobar reflect a broader situation of sectarian violence in the coastal region of Syria, where the Alawite population continues to be targeted for reprisals by certain groups linked to the new Sunni government.
