Posted by 
Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa has called for national unity and peace following days of escalating violence in which security forces allegedly killed hundreds of Alawite civilians in the country’s coastal regions.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), around 745 civilians were killed in 30 separate massacres targeting the Alawite minority on Friday and Saturday. The BBC has not independently verified these figures, but the reported death toll marks the worst outbreak of violence since the fall of the Assad regime last December.
President Sharaa, speaking from a mosque in Damascus on Sunday, urged calm and unity. “We must preserve national unity and civil peace as much as possible, and we will be able to live together in this country,” he said. Acknowledging the deepening crisis, he added that the ongoing violence was “within the expected challenges” facing Syria.
The surge in violence reportedly began after an ambush on government forces in the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus—areas once loyal to deposed president Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite himself. The clashes have since spiraled into widespread fighting between Assad loyalists and forces of the new Islamist-led government.
SOHR estimates that more than 1,000 people have been killed in the past four days, including 125 government security personnel and 148 pro-Assad fighters. Meanwhile, sources within the new Syrian government told Reuters that at least 200 of their fighters had been killed.
The Syrian Defence Ministry condemned what it described as “treacherous attacks” against its forces, stating that it had since regained control over key areas.
The escalating conflict has forced hundreds of civilians to flee, with many seeking refuge at the Russian military base in Hmeimim, Latakia. Video footage shared by Reuters showed large crowds chanting *“People want Russian protection.” Meanwhile, dozens of families have reportedly fled across the border into Lebanon.
The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed deep concern over the worsening situation.
“I am deeply alarmed by very troubling reports of civilian casualties in Syria’s coastal areas,” he said, urging all parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could “destabilise the country and jeopardize a credible and inclusive political transition.”
The violence has left Syria’s Alawite community in fear, an activist in the city told the BBC. With tensions rising and the risk of further conflict looming, the coming days will be crucial in determining whether President Sharaa’s calls for peace will be heeded.
The post Syria’s President Calls for Peace Amid Deadly Clashes in Coastal Regions appeared first on Arise News.
