Syria: Bloodshed and Horror as Armed Forces and Assad Supporters Clash – Over 1,000 Dead

The absolute horror is once again being experienced in Syria as over 745 civilians, including Alawites, and hundreds of members of the country’s Armed Forces and supporters of the ousted Bashar al-Assad have been massacred in recent days. This tragic toll marks the worst since the start of the multi-year civil war in 2011, which has claimed over 500,000 lives. The new Syrian conflict began on Tuesday (04.02.2025) when loyalists to Assad staged a bloody ambush against forces of the new regime in the Latakia region. In response, the Syrian government deployed thousands of fighters to the area, resulting in the deaths of thousands, including children and women. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 745 civilians were killed, most executed. Additionally, 125 members of the Syrian Armed Forces and 148 regime fighters lost their lives. However, estimates suggest the death toll could be even higher. The new Syrian president, Ahmad Al-Sar, vowed that anyone killing civilians would face severe punishment, hoping to restore peace. Alawites, a significant secretive religious group following a branch of Shia Islam, are now fearing retaliation despite assurances from the new government. The three patriarchs in Syria issued a joint statement condemning the wave of violence and calling for national reconciliation. Signed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch John X, the Syriac Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, and the Greek Catholic Patriarch Joseph Absi, they denounce attacks against innocent civilians, including women and children, and call for an immediate end to these horrific acts. They urge the creation of conditions for national reconciliation and emphasize unity within Syrian territory.