At least 1,383 civilians killed in Syria violence: new monitor toll

War monitor reports 1,383 Alawite civilians killed in Syria's coastal violence, sparking fear of reprisals post-Assad.

At least 1,383 civilians, the vast majority of them Alawites, were killed in a recent wave of violence that gripped Syria's Mediterranean coast, a war monitor said Wednesday (March 12, 2025).

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the civilians were killed in "executions by security forces and allied groups" after the violence broke out last week in the coastal heartland of the Alawite minority, to which toppled president Bashar al-Assad belongs.

The Britain-based Observatory added that even as the violence subsided, the toll was still rising as bodies continued to be discovered, many on farmland or in their homes.

“The latest deaths were recorded in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, and the neighbouring central province of Hama,” it said.

It accused the security forces and allied groups of participating in "field executions, forced displacement and burning of homes, with no legal deterrent".

The violence began on Thursday when clashes broke out after gunmen loyal to Assad staged attacks on the new security forces.

At least 231 security personnel were killed in the ensuing fighting, according to an official toll. The Observatory said 250 pro-Assad fighters were also killed.