Probe links members of new Syrian government to Alawite massacres

Shafaq News – Damascus

Sunni fighters aligned with Syria’s new government in Damascus carried out mass killings in Alawite-populated areas along the Mediterranean coast, a Reuters investigation revealed on Monday.

The report identified the March 7–9 attacks, which left nearly 1,500 dead and dozens unaccounted for, documenting retaliatory assaults—including killings, beatings, and looting—across more than 40 locations targeting the Alawite community, long associated with the al-Assad regime.

Findings indicated that at least ten armed factions were involved in the offensive, including foreign fighters now operating under the authority of the new government. Nearly half of these groups have been under international sanctions for years over documented human rights violations, including executions, abductions, and acts of sexual violence.

The revelations surfaced as the administration of US President Donald Trump gradually eases sanctions imposed during the al-Assad era. The shift has raised concerns in Washington, particularly given that Syria’s new government is led by an Islamist faction formerly known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. Previously operating as Jabhat al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, the group was dissolved following al-Assad’s fall.

However, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which was led by current transitional Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, has been under United Nations sanctions since 2014. Al-Sharaa, a Sunni Muslim like the majority of Syrians, assumed office in January after leading a rapid military campaign that toppled al-Assad and brought Damascus under opposition control.