A Rising Horror in Syria’s Coastal Heartland

Image: Jihad Watch

The tragedy unfolding in Syria has reached an even more harrowing dimension. Recent reports indicate that at least 1,800 Christians have been killed in recent days, victims of the violence unleashed by the forces of the new government and terrorist groups linked to ISIS and Al‑Qaeda.

Most of the violence has occurred in coastal regions such as Latakia and Tartous — areas that had been relatively more stable in the long years of Syria’s war.

According to monitoring groups such as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 1,000 civilians — including Christians, Alawites and Druze — have been executed in a wave of retribution following the fall of Bashar al‑Assad’s regime in December 2024.

The new leader, Ahmed al‑Sharaa, had pledged national unity and reconciliation — yet on the ground, what can be seen are mass executions, sectarian attacks, and large-scale forced displacements, especially targeted at religious minorities.

How things unravelled

In early March 2025 violent clashes erupted in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous, after pro-Assad insurgents attempted a surge in the region. In response, forces affiliated with the transitional government, many drawn from Islamist and jihadist factions such as the former Hay’at Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS), launched sweeping counter-operations. Amnesty International described events in towns such as Banias (Tartous) where dozens of civilians in Alawite-majority neighbourhoods were deliberately killed by militias affiliated with the new regime.

Witnesses say armed men singled out civilians by sect, asking “Are you Alawite?” or “Are you Christian?” before executing them. While much of the documented killing so far is of Alawite-Muslims, there are credible reports that Christians have also been targeted — though the extent is still emerging. For instance, one Christian-news outlet reported that activists believe the death toll among Alawites and Christians in these regions may be as high as 1,800. 

The minorities at risk

The coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous historically included a mix of Alawites (a minority sect aligned with the al-Assad regime), Christians (Maronite, Greek-Orthodox, Antiochian Greek) and Sunni Muslims. The al-Assad regime’s fall appears to have unleashed deep-seated sectarian resentments. Christian leaders in Syria have voiced alarm about the violence and their own vulnerability. As one statement put it: “The Christian churches … denounce and condemn the massacres targeting innocent civilians … and call for immediate conditions conducive to achieving national reconciliation.” 

The media and silence

The scale of the violence and the apparent targeting of religious minorities should be a major international story — yet coverage has been muted. Many observers attribute this “deafening silence” to ideological complicity: that parts of the global Left, sympathetic to anti-Assad or Islamist-dominated opposition forces, have downplayed or ignored the role of jihadist affiliates and Islamist militias in committing the atrocities. This silence, critics say, empowers the perpetrators — especially when the same networks that financed or empowered the jihadist groups are also influential in global media and politics.

The manifold implications

• Justice and accountability: While Ahmed al-Sharaa has promised investigations and judicial action, independent watchdogs warn that the structures for such investigations are weak, and the new regime itself includes many of the same commanders who may be implicated in the abuses.

• Sectarian fracture: The attacks risk polarising communities further. Alawites, previously linked to the Assad regime, now find themselves on the receiving end of vengeance. Christians and other minorities fear they may be targeted simply because of their identity or proximity to other groups.

• Humanitarian disaster: The massacre, forced displacements and fear of further attacks have generated new waves of internal displacement, especially in previously safer zones on the coast.

• Geopolitical stakes: These developments complicate the narrative of Syria’s “transition” away from Assad. The integration of jihadist factions such as HTS into the formal security services — under the new government — raises serious concerns about legitimacy and human-rights protection. Reuters, for example, found that many of the killers in coastal massacres were under the command of men now serving in the new government’s inner circles.

Why the higher figure of 1,800 Christians is disputed

It is worth noting that while several outlets mention thousands killed, the documented figures for Christians specifically are much lower and more uncertain. Some organisations report “at least 12 Christians” among the dead, while emphasising that the real number may well be much higher. The number “1,800” appears in some activist-driven or faith-community-driven reports, but is not yet substantiated by independent monitors publicly. That said, whether the number is 1,800 or 1,000 or 500, the pattern of sectarian targeting and mass violence is clear.

The urgent call

The international community cannot afford to stand silent. The killings in Syria’s coastal provinces represent possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. Religious and ethnic minorities — including Christians, Alawites, Druze — require protection, and the perpetrators must be held to account.

 Media outlets, human-rights organisations and international bodies must amplify the voices of survivors, ensure accurate casualty recording, preserve mass-grave evidence, and support mechanisms of transitional justice. As one Amnesty International statement warned: without justice, Syria risks falling back into a cycle of further atrocities and bloodshed.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)