Dangerous Alarm in Syria

The bloodshed in Syria over the past few days is truly alarming. If mishandled, Syria could once again be dragged into a prolonged civil war.

Amid the uncertainty regarding the continuation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip, surprising news has emerged from another part of the Middle East. As reported, since Thursday (6/3/2025), Syrian security forces have been engaged in clashes with loyalist forces of former President Bashar al-Assad in the provinces of Latakia and Tartous, western Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an organization based in London, England, which relies on information from its network of sources in Syria, stated on Sunday (9/3/2024) that the death toll from three days of bloodshed since Thursday has exceeded 1,000 people.

Rami Abdulrahman, Head of SOHR, stated that the number of victims is one of the highest since the chemical weapons attack by Assad's forces on the outskirts of Damascus in 2013, which killed approximately 1,400 people (Reuters, 9/3/2025).

SOHR reported that 745 civilians were killed, most of them shot at close range. In addition, 125 government officials and 148 members of Assad's pro-Assad militia were killed. As a result of the fighting, electricity and drinking water services were cut off from Latakia (Kompas.id, 9/3/2025).

Considering the largest number of victims comes from the Alawi minority, there is an assessment that this is a sectarian massacre aimed at expelling the Alawi population from their homeland. If this assessment is accurate, it becomes the duty and responsibility of Syria's interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to address this issue earnestly and promptly.

We still remember and note Sharaa's promise after overthrowing the Assad regime in early December 2024 to create an inclusive Syria, tolerant of minority groups, and respectful of diversity. The incidents since last Thursday have become a serious test for Sharaa's administration and a dangerous alarm for the future of post-Assad Syria.

As many have warned, Syria is expected not to repeat the fate of Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein or Libya after Moammar Khadafy. The prolonged sectarian conflict in Iraq has become fertile ground for terrorism. Chaos and instability continue to plague Libya.

The fate of Syria depends on the ability of Sharaa, a former commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which was once part of Al Qaeda: whether his promise of creating an inclusive and tolerant Syria can be realized through real actions. If he fails, the stakes are the return of the theater of proxy wars and bloody conflicts in the country.