Armed clashes broke out in Syria between representatives of the new government and Alawites

On March 6, Syrian central government forces took control of the Mediterranean provinces of Latakia and Tartus, where the Alawite insurgency began. As of March 8, the army and militants affiliated with the ruling Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement were conducting raids in populated areas in the region. Meduza has gathered the latest information.

The country's new government is reportedly searching for the rebels, and the search is continuing, along with the mass execution of men. It is not yet possible to determine the exact number of victims. According to videos circulating on social media, scattered statements by human rights activists and reports from local residents, there are at least hundreds of victims.

^{Photo: Bilal Al Hammoud / EPA / Scanpix / LETA}
Dozens of videos are circulating on social networks showing the execution of Alawites: they are shot, beaten, dragged on the ground, and forced to howl like dogs by dozens of people. Most of the footage shows the bodies of the dead, wounded, and captured in civilian clothes. It is not known which of them are participants in the uprising and which are civilians. In general, the footage resembles the aftermath of mass executions rather than battles. The fact of individual massacres of Alawites has already been partially confirmed by the Reuters news agency.

On March 7, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa addressed the people. He blamed the violence in Latakia and Tartus on “gangs of the fallen regime” and vowed to pursue them “until they are completely destroyed.”

The Alawites, the ethno-confessional group to which former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family belong, did not have their own organized military force. Unlike the Druze, Kurds, and other communities in Syria, the official armed forces, the Syrian Arab Army, effectively fulfilled this role under Assad. When Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell in December 2024, that army disbanded.

The Sunni Islamist movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seized power in Syria, has since tried to prevent the Alawites from uniting and forming a new military force. Until recently, these efforts consisted of raids on Alawite villages and even shelling them.


^{Photo: Bilal Al Hammoud / EPA / Scanpix / LETA}
In early March, an Alawite rebellion broke out in the provinces of Latakia and Tartus. It appears to be led by former officers of Bashar al-Assad's army. On March 6, one of them, General Ghiyas Dala, announced the formation of the "Military Council for the Liberation of Syria." During the 2014-2020 civil war, the Dala Brigade was one of the most effective and ruthless units fighting on the side of the Assad regime. The general himself is believed to have close ties to Iran, a long-time ally of the Assad regime.

In his address, the new Syrian President al-Sharaa called on “all forces involved in this fight to submit to the command.” This demand is primarily directed at militants from various groups. After the fall of the Assad regime, they were not officially included in the new Ministry of Defense, but are fighting in the interests of the new government.

In practice, it is usually impossible to distinguish between such militants and the country’s official security forces. The new Syrian authorities have repeatedly emphasized their intention to completely disarm all non-state groups and monopolize violence.

Qatar, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have supported the new government’s efforts in the Syrian provinces of Latakia and Tartus.

Photos and videos of Alawites, primarily women and children, who have taken refuge at the Russian Hmeimim air base are circulating on social media. It is located in Latakia province, near the city of Jabla, where the Alawite uprising began. Russian representatives have not yet commented on this information.

^{Photo: Chine Nouvelle / SIPA / Scanpix / LETA} Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”