Syria: Reports of Executions of Assad Supporters by Security Forces in Large-Scale ‘Sweep’ Operations

Developments are rapidly unfolding following the bloody large-scale ‘sweep’ operation launched by security forces against the Alawite community in western Syria, resulting in dozens of deaths among supporters of the former president. Specifically, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported today (07.03.2025) about the execution of 52 Alawites, the community from which Bashar al-Assad hails, in western Syria by security forces after violent clashes. The Observatory authenticated videos and testimonies from victims’ relatives showing the executions in the villages of Al Sir and Al Muhatarigya in the Latakia province. Videos published by the Observatory and fighters depict dozens of bodies dressed in civilian clothes piled in a house’s courtyard while women cry nearby. In another video, men in military attire appear to order three individuals to line up before shooting them at close range. Although unverified by independent sources, the French Agency could not confirm these videos. Previously, the Observatory reported that the clashes since Thursday caused 72 deaths, including 36 security service members, 32 pro-Assad fighters, and four civilians, bringing the total death toll to 124 since Thursday (06.03.2025). Following Assad’s fall on December 8th, new Syrian authorities began operations targeting remnants of the regime, focusing particularly on Alawite strongholds in the west. Turkey warned against any provocation threatening peace ‘in Syria and the region’ after violent clashes in Latakia, emphasizing that tensions there could jeopardize efforts for Syrian unity and brotherhood. Meanwhile, over 300,000 Syrian refugees have returned home since Assad’s regime fell, according to the UNHCR, with nearly half coming from Turkey.