Hundreds killed in continued Syrian attacks

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said on Friday, that many people have been killed in Syrian unrest.

The unrest in Syria has been termed the worst outbreak of unrest since Syria’s transitional government took power.

Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded in clashes between the security forces and supporters of former President Bashar al Assad.

The clashes broke out Thursday in the Latakia and Tartous regions on the Mediterranean coast.

These are areas where support among Syrian Alawites for Assad was strong.

They are also areas that have seen outbreaks of sectarian violence over the past three months.

SNHR reports that more than 225 people have been killed since Thursday in the clashes.

The UK-based organization said that among the dead were 125 civilians.

The SNHR is alleging that government forces committed “widespread field executions” of young men and adult males “without clear distinction between civilians and others.”

The Syrian government said an emergency committee is monitoring violations.

They say they will refer those who exceeded command instructions during the recent military and security operation to the military court.

A demonstrator holds a picture of jailed Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan during a rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey, February 27, 2025.

A Syrian security source disclosed that individual violations had been perpetrated after  large, unorganized crowds travelled to the area.

The Syrian government told CNN that at least 150 of their security forces were killed since Thursday and 300 were captured.

The Assad family, ruled Syria for over half a century until Assad was ousted late last year by Sunni Islamist militants who sought to reshape the country’s political and sectarian order.

The Assad family are members of the minority Alawite sect.

Syria’s Alawites  who are around 10% of the population,  were prominent in the Assad regime.

While many Alawites have surrendered their weapons since December, many others have not.

The latest surge in violence highlights the challenges Syria’s new regime faces in appeasing disenfranchised groups.

Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, vowed in a televised speech on Friday to pursue those responsible for killing dozens of Syrian security personnel.

He also urged security forces to “ensure no excessive or unjustified responses occur” following reports of many civilian casualties during clashes.

The official Syrian news agency SANA said that after several police and security personnel had been killed.

They also reported that large, unorganized crowds moved toward the coast, citing an official with Syria’s Ministry of Interior.

Anas Khattab, head of Syrian intelligence, said that former military and security leaders affiliated with the defunct regime were behind the planning and execution of these crimes.

He said that the treacherous operation had claimed the lives of dozens of their finest men in the army, security, and police.

Social media videos published since Thursday clearly show extensive casualties among both Syrian security forces and young men in civilian clothing.

While addressing other Assad supporters on Friday, Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Hassan Abdel Ghani said, “senior war criminals are scattered in the mountains with no refuge except the courts, where you will face justice.

“Do not become fuel for a lost war… The choice is clear: surrender your weapons or face your inevitable fate.”

Other social media footage from Friday showed substantial military reinforcements converging on the area.

The city of Tartous has been placed under curfew until Saturday.

The videos indicate that the security forces reached the coastal city of Jableh, near the Russian airbase at Hmeimim.

The videos also showed clashes and columns of smoke rising from near the base.

Other videos showed government forces entering Al-Qardaha, the home town of the Assad family, amid explosions and columns of smoke.

According to SANA, an official with the defense ministry confirmed later on Friday that security forces carried out operations “against the remnants of the former regime,” in Al-Qardaha.

It said all military and security units had been ordered “to strictly adhere to established procedures and laws to safeguard civilians.”

A video located to the coast near Jableh showed improvised bombs being dropped from a military helicopter.

Syria’s Health Ministry said that six hospitals in the rural areas of Latakia and Tartous had come under attack on Thursday night by pro-Assad elements, resulting in several deaths.

Abdul Rahman Taleb, a Latakia-based activist and journalist, said he was attacked by Assad loyalists on Thursday while he was covering clashes with the Syrian security forces.

He added he had been sheltered by other Alawites in the area until the first reinforcements arrived and evacuated us them.

The violence has sparked pro- and anti-government demonstrations in several Syrian cities.

Saudi Arabia, a strong backer of the new government, condemned what it called “crimes committed by outlaw groups” in Syria.

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