Violence in Syria Targets Alawite Minority, Over 1,500 Dead

Reports detail mass killings of Alawite civilians as Syrian transitional government faces calls for accountability.

Over 1,500 people, including many civilians, have been killed in recent violence in Syria's coastal regions, with Alawites disproportionately targeted.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that thousands of Alawites have fled their homes, with some seeking refuge at a Russian-controlled airbase in Latakia.
Human Rights Watch and the UN have condemned the attacks, urging the transitional government to protect civilians and investigate alleged war crimes.
The violence follows clashes between supporters of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, and forces of the new Islamist-led government in Damascus.
Witness accounts and satellite imagery suggest mass executions and attacks on hospitals, raising concerns of severe violations of international law.