More than 1,000 people have been killed in Syria amid clashes between anti-government groups and security forces and a spate of “revenge killings”, in one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the country since its civil war erupted 14 years ago. According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, those killed include 745 civilians, 125 government security force members, and 148 militants of pro-Bashar al-Assad groups. In December, Syria’s long-time leader Bashar al-Assad was unseated by rebel groups. The violence coming months after has cast a shadow on the hopes of a stable future for Syria.
1,000 Dead In Syria In ‘Revenge Killing’
Why In News
- More than 1,000 people have been killed in Syria amid clashes between anti-government groups and security forces and a spate of “revenge killings”, in one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the country since its civil war erupted 14 years ago.
- According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, those killed include 745 civilians, 125 government security force members, and 148 militants of pro-Bashar al-Assad groups. In December, Syria’s long-time leader Bashar al-Assad was unseated by rebel groups. The violence coming months after has cast a shadow on the hopes of a stable future for Syria.
What Has Happened In The Past Three Days
- Bashar al-Assad belongs to the Alawite community, a Shia sect of Islam. The Alawaites, a minority, had dominated government posts under Assad, and are still loyal to him. The group that has come to power after his fall, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), is an al-Qaeda offshoot.
- Alawaites and other Syrian minorities, such as Christians and the Druze, fear they will face persecution under this hardline Sunni regime, although interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pledged to carry everyone along.
- On Thursday (March 6), pro-Assad militias attacked government forces in the coastal area of Jableh, dominated by Alawites. The militias targeted security patrols and checkpoints, killing 13 personnel.
- In the government crackdown that followed, scores of civilians were killed. The government forces were joined by armed Sunni fighters, who are reported to have targetted and killed Alawite people in revenge for atrocities under the Assad regime.
How Has The Government Reacted
- In a televised address, Sharaa said security forces should not allow anyone to “exaggerate in their response … because what differentiates us from our enemy is our commitment to our values.”
- “When we give up on our morals, us and our enemy end up on the same side,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. However, his appeal seems not to have had much effect.
- According to an AP report, “Residents of Alawite villages and towns spoke about killings during which gunmen shot Alawites, the majority of them men, in the streets or at the gates of their homes. Many homes of Alawites were looted and then set on fire in different areas.”
Why Has Syria Been In The Middle Of A Civil War
- From 1971, Syria was in the control of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar’s father and all-powerful President, seen by many as a dictator. Bashar took over in 2000 after Hafez died. In 2011, when the Arab Spring saw dictators being toppled across West Asia, protests began against Assad too.
- Many in Syria believed that while Sunnis were the majority, power and resources were concentrated in the hands of the Alawaites. After coming to power, Assad had opened up the economy, but the gains had largely been limited to the elites. Thus, when protests began — initially peacefully — price rise and unemployment were among the major issues.
- Assad’s regime cracked down on the protesters, and the agitation soon spiralled into armed civil war.
- Things were made worse with multiple foreign powers — including the US, Israel, Turkey, Iran, Russia — backing various armed groups, which included Shia militias, Sunni militias, and the Kurds.
- Israel has bombed Syria after Assad’s fall, claiming it did not want the country’s advanced weapons falling in the wrong hands.
- Russia has a large military base at Hmeimim in Latakia, where minorities are now sheltering amid the latest clashes.
What Happens Now
- Sharaa called for peace. “We have to preserve national unity and domestic peace, we can live together…Rest assured about Syria, this country has the characteristics for survival… What is currently happening in Syria is within the expected challenges,” the interim President said in a video, as reported by Reuters. However, with the minorities’ distrust of HTS, and too many players bearing grievances also bearing arms, the future of Syria for now looks uncertain.
