Women and children are among entire families who have been massacred in recent weeks in Syria’s coastal provinces by the latest wave of sectarian killings, the United Nations human rights office reported Tuesday in a harrowing escalation of violence. The violence, which broke out last Thursday, has killed close to 1,000 civilians, according The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, bleeding an even grimmer portrait of the continuing chaos that is engulfing the area.
The explosion in violence was ignited by when armed groups loyal to ousted former President Bashar al-Assad mounted a lethal ambush against security forces, killing at least 16 security apparatus members in Latakia province, the Ministry of Defence confirmed. What ensued was a violent and alarming dive into sectarian violence, as pro-government forces retaliated by now targeting mostly Alawite towns in coastal regions and provinces like Hama and Homs.
Reports from the ground depict scenes of unspeakable horror, with families gunned down in their homes, on rooftops and in the streets. In Baniyas alone, a largely Alawite city, nearly 200 civilians were killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Al Jazeera could not independently confirm these numbers due to limited access to conflict area.
UN human rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan condemned the atrocities in stark terms, stating that “in a number of extremely disturbing instances, entire families – including women, children, and individuals hors de combat – were killed.” The attacks, she noted, disproportionately targeted Alawite-majority cities and villages, exacerbating fears of ethnic and sectarian cleansing in the region.
Reports detailing the killings in such horrific fashion have sent shock waves around the world and raised fresh alarm on the conflicting recovery from Syria’s tenuous post-war condition. While the Alawite community, to which Assad belongs, has been both an important ally for his regime and a frequent target of opposition groups, the latest killing emphasizes the deeply-rooted sectarian tension that keep ripping apart the country even as it forges ahead from over ten years of civil war.
People who survived the attacks have told dreadful stories of indiscriminate killings and destruction. In one account, a resident of Homs described how pro-government militias stormed his neighborhood, setting homes ablaze and executing families who were unable to flee. “They didn’t spare anyone,” he said, his voice trembling with grief. “We buried our neighbors the next morning, but the fear hasn’t left us.”
Human rights organizations have called for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of life and to hold perpetrators accountable. “These acts of violence are not only a violation of international humanitarian law but also a betrayal of humanity itself,” said one advocate from the International Crisis Group. “The world cannot afford to look away while innocent lives are being extinguished.”
As the death toll continues to rise, questions linger about the role of external actors in fueling the conflict. Some analysts think residual supporters of Assad attempt destabilization to reclaim power but other experts focus on the long-standing geopolitical competitions using Syria’s internal conflicts.
People living in Syria’s coastal provinces endure their tragic situation because another vicious cycle of vengeance and retribution broke their dream of peace. The loss of relatives and grief for burial ceremonies during these times places heavy demands on the international community to take decisive action before the situation worsens.
The United Nations asked all participating groups to maintain control and choose negotiation above devastation. The successive heritage of this most recent tragedy will require multiple lifetimes for Syria to recover but full restoration might never occur.
