The leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has vowed to hold accountable anyone involved in the killing of civilians, just days after Syrian security forces are suspected of killing hundreds of civilians from the Alevite religious minority.
A UK-based monitor reported that 830 civilians were killed in “massacres” targeting this community on the western coast, only on Friday and Saturday, according to BBC.
Since the fighting began on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the total death toll has risen to 1,311.
Among those killed in the clashes, 231 members of the security forces and 250 pro-Assad fighters are also reported to have died.
Alevites, a sect that is a branch of Shia Islam, make up about 10% of Syria’s population, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim.
