Syria: 745 Alawite Civilians Killed, Says Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that more than 700 Alawite civilians have been killed since Thursday by Syrian security forces and allied groups during operations and battles with supporters of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad in western Syria. According to the observatory, ‘745 unarmed Alawites were killed in the coastal areas and mountains of Latakia by security forces and organizations linked to them’ in Western Syria. This report increases the death toll to at least 1,018 victims, including 273 members of security forces and fighters loyal to the Assad family, as per the same source. The Alawites are a significant secretive religious group in Syria, following a branch of Shia Islam. They revere Ali (Ali Ibn Abi Talib), and their name, Alawites, means followers of Ali. The group is believed to have been founded by Ibn Nusayr in the 8th century, and the Assad family, which fled the country at the end of 2024, also belongs to this sect.