Signs of the past: thousands of civilians killed in three days in Syria

Security forces in Syria have attacked towns and villages on the west coast, carrying out mass executions of members of national minorities. About a thousand civilians became victims in three days, the Syrian Human Rights Monitoring Center told Izvestia, but local sources already speak of 7 thousand dead. About 8,000 people are hiding at the Russian base in Khmeimim. A wave of violence broke out after an attempt by formations loyal to ex-President Bashar al-Assad to take control of some facilities in Latakia and Tartus. How the world reacts to the situation in Syria is in the Izvestia article.

Militants have carried out a massacre of Alawites and Christians in Syria

Over the past three days, one of the largest tragedies in the country's modern history has occurred on the western coast of Syria. The militants of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, recognized in Russia as a terrorist organization and banned) staged mass massacres of civilians.

The Syrian Human Rights Monitoring Center told Izvestia that about a thousand civilians, including women and children, became victims of these attacks. However, local sources speak of more than 7 thousand dead. The Syrian Embassy in Russia did not respond to a request from Izvestia regarding the number of civilian casualties.

Terrorist gangs are attacking areas inhabited by representatives of ethnic minorities, Alawites and Christians. Purges continue in towns and villages, accompanied by barbaric executions, pogroms and forced displacement of people. At the same time, jihadists film their war crimes on camera and post them on the Internet. In these circumstances, according to the I24 channel, the Alawite community in Syria asked Israel to protect them from the new authorities of the country. Previously, the Jewish state had already provided a barrier for the Syrian Druze.

At the same time, there are many intellectuals among the dead — doctors, engineers, pharmacists. According to Nikolai Sukhov, a leading researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, there are many graduates of Russian universities among the victims.

— Unfortunately, it's very sad for us. These are young specialists who studied in Russia, and they came back to work in Syria. Many of them also studied on our scholarships. They were killed not only because they are Alawites or Christians, but also for the sake of banal robbery," the source told Izvestia.

The situation in Syria is also worrying Russian citizens. Many of our compatriots evacuated earlier, but some stayed, hoping that the situation would not get out of control. One of these women, who lives in the city of Jabla near the Russian Khmeimim airbase, found herself in the epicenter of the events.

She told Izvestia that during a group messenger call, armed militants came to her house. When they heard that she was from Russia, they left, but soon another group appeared, who beat up her entire family and completely looted the house. The call was not interrupted at that time, and dozens of people who connected to it witnessed the atrocities.

Thousands of Alawites and Christians are now trying to escape. The Russian Khmeimim airbase has become their last hope. A field kitchen was set up there for 8,000 residents who fled persecution by terrorists. According to some reports, representatives of the new authorities who arrived at the Russian base were unable to convince the population to return to their homes. At the same time, the military base is experiencing overloads, since it is not designed for such a large number of people.

Back on March 7, the Russian side expressed concern about the sharp escalation of the situation in Syria. Moscow has confirmed its principled position in support of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the state.

"In these critical circumstances, we call on all reputable Syrian leaders capable of influencing the further development of the situation on the ground to do everything possible to end the bloodshed as soon as possible and prevent civilian casualties," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary. — In the difficult conditions of the transition period that Syria is currently experiencing, maintaining national harmony, strengthening the security of citizens, and respecting their legitimate rights, regardless of nationality or religion, are of paramount importance.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 10 that Russia was deeply concerned about the violence that was taking place in Syria during the clashes. He stressed that the Kremlin sees the need for urgent consideration of this issue.

Why has the situation in Syria escalated

The reason for the wave of violence was the actions of formations loyal to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who attempted to take key facilities in Latakia and Tartus. The planned operation included the capture of the Naval College and the military base in Istamo, as well as strategically important routes. The rebels briefly managed to establish control over several facilities and blocked the highways leading to the Khmeimim airbase. 15 law enforcement officers were killed in the clashes. In response to these events, units of the Syrian security forces, which are subordinate to the new authorities of the country, struck, which included civilians who did not support the former regime in the country.

— The vast majority of Alawites who live in Syria did not support Assad even when he was in power. But the security forces made excesses, which individual groups took advantage of. When the locals refused the military's demand to surrender their weapons, unrest began. There were especially strong excesses in Jable, there was a hotbed of tension," said Vladimir Akhmedov, senior researcher at the Center for the Study of General Problems of the Modern East at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in a conversation with Izvestia.

The expert noted that on March 6, on the eve of the escalation in the coastal provinces, a "Military Council for the Liberation of Syria" was established under the leadership of General Hayat Suleiman Dahl, one of the former commanders of special forces. The Council opposed the new authorities in Damascus. The group included several ex-officers of the special services, including the Air Force counterintelligence.

Previously, Dala was the commander of an elite unit in the 4th Armored Division of the Syrian Arab Army. For many years, this unit was considered one of the most combat—ready forces of the regime and was under the command of Bashar al-Assad's brother, Maher. The general was considered one of the key supporters of Iranian influence in Syria.

After the change of power in December last year, Dala began to get closer to other former military leaders who had previously been loyal to the regime but had lost their influence. According to Al-Jazeera, Bashar al-Assad, who left for Russia, is aware of the coordination between various armed groups.

The world's reaction to the events in Syria

The UN responded to the situation in Syria. On March 9, Volker Türk, the High Commissioner of the World Organization for Human Rights, called for an end to the bloodshed.

—Statements by the interim authorities about their intention to comply with the law must be supported by prompt actions to protect Syrians, including taking all necessary measures to prevent violations and abuses, as well as ensuring accountability for their commission," he stressed.

Russia and the United States requested urgent closed—door consultations of the UN Security Council - the meeting was held on March 10. Russia's permanent representative to the organization, Vasily Nebenzia, told reporters that Russia and the United States are cooperating on the Syrian issue.

Earlier, the United States condemned attacks on members of the country's minorities. According to the statement of the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Syrian authorities are obliged to bring them to justice. Obviously, after this, the Syrian authorities may not expect Washington to lift sanctions.

— The United States condemns radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadists, who have been killing people in western Syria in recent days. We support the country's religious and ethnic minorities and express our condolences to the victims. The Syrian interim authorities must bring those responsible to justice," the Secretary of State said in a statement.

After the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, the new president Ahmed al-Sheraa (better known by the pseudonym Abu Muhammad al-Julani) declared that nothing threatens minorities in Syria.

Shortly before the attacks, a conference of national dialogue was held in Damascus, conducted by the authorities to legitimize their power. With the participation of about 600 delegates, Alawites, who make up 12-15% of the country's population, were not invited to this event, as well as representatives of the Kurdish factions.

The authorities in Damascus themselves explain everything that is happening by the war with the remnants of the former regime and "pro-Assad loyalists." With the same wording, they were supported by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the European Union in their statements.