Al-Sharaa extends coast incidents inquiry mandate three months

Shafaq News/ Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has extended the mandate of the investigative committee probing the recent coastal region massacres by an additional three months, according to a statement from the presidency on Thursday.

The extension, which cannot be renewed again, came at the request of the committee itself, the statement said. It followed a meeting between Al-Sharaa and the committee to review the latest developments in the investigation.

Al-Sharaa originally established the seven-member committee on March 9 to investigate the causes, circumstances, and violations surrounding the violence, including those committed against civilians.

The committee was also tasked with identifying those responsible for attacks on public institutions, security forces, and military personnel.

Under its initial mandate, the committee was expected to submit its findings to the presidency within 30 days of its formation.

In its latest update, the committee confirmed that it had visited all areas affected by the violence, interviewed military, security, and civilian witnesses, and met with the United Nations’ international commission of inquiry in Damascus.

The coastal region of Syria recently witnessed large-scale massacres targeting members of the Alawite community, drawing widespread international condemnation.

The Syrian administration at the time blamed “remnants” of the former regime for instigating the violence, citing operations they carried out that resulted in the deaths of dozens of its security personnel.