Overview

• The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that 532 Alawite civilians, including women and children, have been killed since Thursday in the Latakia region by security forces and allied groups.
• The violence follows an escalation of tensions after an attack by Assad loyalists in Jablé, prompting government forces to launch widespread operations in Alawite-majority areas.
• The new government, led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham coalition, has been accused of failing to prevent sectarian violence and atrocities against Alawite communities.
• International actors, including the UN and several countries, have called for restraint and condemned the killings, while the interim president urges insurgents to disarm.
• Experts warn that the violence highlights the fragility of the new regime and raises concerns for other minority groups, such as Druze and Kurds, fearing similar reprisals.