Syrian official committee reports over 1,400 killed in March coastal violence

Shafaq News - Damascus

On Tuesday, a Syrian investigative committee released its report on the March violence in the coastal region, attributing the delay in publication to concurrent events in the southern city of Suwayda.

The committee, formed by the Syrian transitional government, documented 930 testimonies related to the coastal incidents and confirmed the deaths of 1,426 individuals, including civilians and former military personnel.

According to the report, 238 members of the public security forces and army were killed by what the committee described as “remnants of the regime.” The committee also stated that these groups had attempted to seize areas along the coast with the aim of establishing a separatist enclave.

The investigation identified 265 individuals as suspected members of these regime-affiliated groups and confirmed that 298 people were found to have committed documented violations.

The committee cited testimonies from families of some victims, who said the regime remnants used their areas to launch attacks against security forces. Although the reported violations were widespread, the committee noted they were uncoordinated. It said that 200,000 armed men had moved into the coastal region to reclaim it, and investigations into various abuses and misconduct followed.

The report also pointed to cases where individuals impersonated military or security personnel for personal gain. Some of those implicated in violations had formed gangs engaged in looting and theft. The committee clarified that sectarian motives during the events were rooted in revenge rather than ideology, and some fighters had defied military orders by committing violations.

Concluding that the state had made significant efforts to halt the abuses and arrest those involved, the committee acknowledged that state control during the events was only partial.

The Syrian presidency had established the investigative committee on March 9, pledging to release its findings within a month. The announcement was delayed by an additional three months, with the results now published just ahead of the extended July 10 deadline.

Several human rights organizations have reported findings that differ from the official account. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights alleged that public security forces and allied groups carried out massacres and summary executions, resulting in the deaths of around 1,700 civilians, most of whom belonged to the Alawite minority.

A previous Reuters investigation revealed details of what it described as massacres committed by Sunni fighters in Alawite-populated areas between March 7 and 9. The report identified a chain of command behind the killings, linking them to individuals operating alongside the new authorities in Damascus.

Reuters concluded that approximately 1,500 Alawite Syrians were killed, and dozens remain missing. It documented 40 different locations where retaliatory killings, attacks, and looting targeted Alawite communities.