Syrian Civil War Gets More Brutal

The Syrian authorities imposed a curfew until Saturday (8/3/2025) in Latakia, Tartus, and Homs. The curfew was also enforced in areas bordering these three provinces.

A curfew has been imposed to quell violence in the three provinces and the bordering areas. Except for Homs, the other regions are strongholds of Assad supporters.

On Thursday (6/3), forces referred to as Assad loyalists engaged in a shootout with the security forces of Syria's new rulers. Both sides blamed each other for initiating the violence. "Everyone feels attacked. Everyone feels like a victim of the other side's recklessness. Worse still, all parties are armed," said Aron Lund, a Syria researcher at Century International.

On the other hand, the ruling forces used, among other things, attack helicopters to strike the village of Beit Ana. The attack targeted a group of former Syrian special forces who were following their commander, Suhail Hassan.

Meanwhile, on Friday, as reported by the SANA news agency, the ruling forces attacked Qardaha, which is Assad's hometown. There, they arrested, among others, Ibrahim Huweija, who once served as a general during the rule of Hafez al-Assad. Bashar al-Assad's father served as the President of Syria from 1971 to 2000.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) broadcast footage of the aftermath of the clashes, saying at least 231 people had been killed since the fighting erupted on Thursday.

Of the victims, less than 100 were militias supporting both warring parties. The rest were civilians caught in the crossfire.

SOHR broadcast video footage of the execution of people who were called Assad loyalists. In a crawling position, they were shot from behind by people wearing the uniform of the new Syrian ruling forces. According to SOHR, the executioners were identified as forces controlled by the Syrian Ministry of Security and Interior.

Meanwhile, Lebanese television station Al-Mayadeen TV reported attacks in Sheer, Mukthariyeh, and Haffah. The villages are said to be the headquarters of Assad loyalists. According to Al-Mayadeen, 30 people were killed in Muhtariyeh alone and 60 others in Baniyas.

A prominent Alawite cleric, Sheikh Shabaan Mansour (86), Friday (7/3/2025) along with his son were found dead in the village of Sahlab in western Syria. Local residents accused the militia and security forces of the Syrian interim government of killing them.

Separately, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's interim leader, issued an ultimatum to Assad's supporters. He blamed them and accused them of attacking Syria's legitimate authorities. "Lay down your weapons and surrender before it's too late," he said.

The pursuit of Assad supporters will continue. "We will bring them to a fair trial, and we will continue to limit weapons to the state. There will be no weapons left in Syria," said Sharaa, who once led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) when HTS was still part of Al-Qaeda.

Sharaa in his statement also accused Assad loyalists of being the ones provoking. "The remnants of the fallen regime are looking for provocations that will cause violations, something that can provide them with protection," he said.

When he took power from Assad, Sharaa promised to work with all groups in his efforts to rebuild Syria, including minorities. He also promised not to allow collective punishment or sectarian reprisals against groups that supported the former regime.

However, so far there has been no communication and meeting between Sharaa and senior figures of the Alawi community. In fact, violence against the community continues to be carried out by supporters of the new rulers.

Moussa al-Omar, a Syrian media figure close to the new Syrian government, said tens of thousands of Syrian security militia members had gone to the clashes to restore security. He said the crackdown was a message to everyone that the country is capable of using military force at any time, including when seeking a peaceful solution.

Some fear the violence could lead to a new escalation of chaos. The Alawite Islamic Council accused armed militias affiliated with the authorities of entering Alawite areas to terrorize and kill. They urged the United Nations to place the area under UN protection.

Joshua Landis, head of the University of Oklahoma's Center for Middle East Studies, said the uncontrolled killings and chaos would undermine the trust of the Sharaa government and citizens, making Sharaa's efforts to bring Syria out of its difficult phase more complex.

Gregory Waters, a researcher at the Middle East Institute, said he was optimistic the flare-up would not escalate into full-blown fighting, but he was concerned it could fuel a cycle of violence between the various civilian communities living along the coast.

Moreover, any violations by security forces sent from Damascus would make Alawite youth more likely to take up arms than to take other options.

Qutaiba Idlbi, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that in addition to the danger of sectarian escalation, the violence exposed the potential inability of Syria’s new government to deal with major security challenges. “Armed groups opposed to the new authorities may take note of this, he said.

UN envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen called on all parties to exercise restraint to reduce the potential for further clashes. He also called for full respect for the protection of civilians in accordance with international law.

"All parties must refrain from actions that could further inflame tensions, escalate the conflict, exacerbate the suffering of affected populations, undermine Syria's stability, and jeopardize a credible and inclusive political transition," he said in a statement. (AP/AFP/Reuters)