Damascus: The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Friday that security forces of Syria’s transitional government executed 134 members of the Alawite minority, following violent clashes with pro-Assad militants a day earlier.
Based in the UK, the monitoring group stated that Thursday’s confrontations were the deadliest outbreak of violence since former president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024. Restoring security remains one of the biggest challenges for the country’s new leadership.
Citing verified videos and testimonies from relatives of the deceased, the Observatory reported that 90 Alawites, including six women, were executed by security forces in the towns of Al-Shir and Al-Mukhtariya, near the city of Latakia.
Photos and videos circulating online show dozens of bloodied bodies, dressed in civilian clothing, lying in a courtyard as grieving women mourn over them.
Another video allegedly shows a man in a military uniform ordering three individuals to lie face down before shooting them at close range. However, the authenticity of the footage is not verified or confirmed.
Following Thursday’s clashes, authorities imposed a curfew in the Alawite strongholds of Latakia and Tartus, effective until Saturday.
In December 2024, Islamist rebels toppled the Assad regime, which had ruled Syria for over five decades. Assad belonged to the Alawite religious minority, which had dominated the country’s secular dictatorship.
In January 2025, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was appointed head of Syria’s interim administration.
The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that security forces launched extensive operations in Latakia and Tartus with the support of reinforcements.
Quoting a senior security official, SANA stated that the operations aim to eliminate “remaining Assad loyalists and their supporters”. Civilians have been urged to “stay indoors” as authorities continue their crackdown.
