Syria identifies 298 suspects in Alawite heartland killings

DAMASCUS: A Syrian committee investigating sectarian violence in the country’s Alawite heartland said Tuesday it identified 298 suspects implicated in serious violations that left at least 1,426 Alawites dead in March.

The violence unfolded over three days in early March on Syria’s predominantly Alawite coast, where government forces and allied groups were accused of carrying out summary executions, mostly targeting Alawite civilians.

“The committee identified 298 individuals by name, who were involved,” spokesman Yasser al-Farhan told a press conference in Damascus, describing the figure as provisional.

He said two lists of suspects had been referred to the judiciary.

The committee documented “serious violations against civilians on March 7, 8 and 9, including murder, premeditated murder, looting, destruction and burning of homes, torture and sectarian insults”.

It confirmed the names of 1,426 dead, including 90 women, with most of the rest being civilians from the Alawite community.

Authorities have accused gunmen loyal to former president Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, of instigating the violence, launching deadly attacks that killed dozens of security forces personnel.

Damascus sent military reinforcements to the region after the attacks.

The committee said 238 army and security force personnel were killed in the attacks in the provinces of Tartus, Latakia and Hama.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor reported the deaths of more than 1,700 people, mostly Alawite civilians.

According to human rights and international organisations, entire families were killed in the violence including women, children, and the elderly.

Gunmen stormed homes and asked their residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before killing or sparing them, they said.

Amnesty International has urged Syria to publish the full results of the investigation and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

On Sunday, the presidency said Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa had received the committee’s report on July 13, the same day sectarian violence erupted in the Druze heartland of Sweida, killing more than 1,200 people according to the Observatory.

The bouts of violence have raised questions over the authorities’ ability to manage sectarian tensions and maintain security, more than seven months after Islamists overthrew Assad, who long presented himself as a protector of minorities.