Femena expresses deep alarm about the escalation in violence and massacres that took place in Syria earlier in March. It is estimated that over 1,000 people, primarily Alawite civilians, have been killed in revenge attacks and sectarian violence in Syria’s northwestern coastal area. Some reports indicate that some of the perpetrators are associated with Hai’et Tahrir Al Sham (HTS). These massacres cast serious doubt on the interim government’s ability to maintain peace and protect civilians and uphold its promises to safeguard the security of Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities. Femena demands an immediate end to all military operations targeting unarmed civilians and calls on the interim government to take concrete steps to protect the Alawite and other religious and ethnic minority groups as well as vulnerable communities more broadly, from retaliatory attacks.
Upon taking power in Damascus, HTS, the Islamist group that had spearheaded the rebel offensive against the al-Assad regime, installed a caretaker government composed mostly of the same figures who had led the group in the northwestern province of Idlib. Hoping to allay the concerns of many Syrians as well as other regional actors about an intent to monopolize power, HTS leader Ahmad Al Sharaa described the government as a provisional one that would hold power temporarily until order in the country could be restored. The interim government made specific assurances that Syria’s minorities would be safe. However, soon after Bashar Al Assad’s toppling in December, there were numerous reports of kidnappings and killings of members of the Alawite minority, which the government claimed to be individual, isolated cases.
The recent surge in violence, however, belies any such claims. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor has documented the killing of over 1,000 people, including at least 745 civilians (mostly shot at a close distance), 125 members of the Syrian security forces, and 148 fighters loyal to Assad. The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has documented the killing of at least 803 people between March 6 and 10, 2025, including 39 children and 49 women. SNHR states that at least 172 members of security, police, and military forces were killed by non-state armed groups linked to the Assad regime. Additionally, at least 211 civilians, including a humanitarian worker, were killed in direct shootings carried out by these groups. SNHR also documented the killing of at least 420 civilians and disarmed fighters, including 39 children, 49 women, and 27 medical personnel, by armed forces participating in military operations (factions and unregulated affiliated with the Ministry of Defense). The estimated death tolls indicate the worst act of violence since December and one of the largest massacres since the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011.
The escalation in violence began on the 6th of March when the Syrian interim government responded to attacks by fighters loyal to the deposed Assad regime, who ambushed government security forces in Jableh, in the coastal Latakia province. This ignited a wave of revenge attacks, including against civilians from the Alawite minority sect. Armed government loyalists primarily targeted Alawite men in the streets or in front of their homes, but women, children, and entire families were also killed. Homes of Alawite residents were looted and set on fire. Videos showed piles of bodies of dozens of civilians in the town of al-Mukhtariya, where more than 40 people were killed at a single location. Other footage showed fighters in security clothing killing people at point-blank and treating captives in a dehumanizing manner. Electricity and drinking water were reportedly cut off in areas around Latakia.
The wave of revenge killings and attacks has terrorized the Alawite community, with many families fleeing their homes. While the deposed Syrian ruling family hails from the Alawite sect, most Alawites are not affiliated with the Assad regime. The Syrian interim government has placed blame for the killing of civilians on ‘individual violations.’ The Syrian president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, has created an ‘independent committee’ to “investigate the violations against civilians and identify those responsible for them” who would face prosecution.
Femena demands an immediate halt to military operations targeting unarmed civilians and stresses the need for a complementary independent, impartial investigation of human rights violations committed this month, to be conducted by an international entity. Based on the investigations’ findings, perpetrators, regardless of their affiliation, must be held accountable to ensure justice and prevent impunity. Moreover, Femena urges for a comprehensive transitional justice process, inclusive of prosecutions and truth and reconciliation mechanisms, to address the mass atrocities of the past. We also stress enforcing laws that specifically protect religious minorities, and vulnerable communities more broadly, from discrimination and violence, and developing the capacities of the domestic justice system to prosecute cases effectively, ensuring accountability and reparations for victims. And importantly, we recommend developing a historically informed national dialogue, encompassing all religious and ethnic groups and genders, to ensure substantive participation from marginalized communities. A meaningful transitional justice and reconciliation process is incremental for communal healing in Syria and for creating democratic governance inclusive of all segments of society.
Femena calls on the international community to apply maximum pressure on the de facto authorities and condition the lifting of sanctions on tangible demonstrations of progress. We also urge the international community to provide support to victims of the massacre and ensure their healing and rehabilitation. The affected communities in Syria are in urgent need of protection from ongoing violence and displacement, including relocation assistance. They require food, healthcare, and shelter, as well as Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for trauma recovery and restoration. We emphasize support for women-led initiatives and WHRDs, who are at the forefront of responding to their community’s needs and priorities.