The fighting, which has killed over 1,000 people, mostly civilians, entered its fourth day on Sunday in Assad’s coastal stronghold, a war monitoring group reported.

Most of those killed are reportedly from the Alawite community, which is concentrated in the coastal province, including cities like Latakia and Tartous.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Saturday that over 1,000 people had died in just two days of clashes. Among them, 745 were civilians, 125 were members of the Syrian security forces, and 148 were fighters loyal to Assad.

On Sunday, Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the observatory, said that the death toll was among the highest recorded since the 2013 chemical attack by Assad’s forces, which killed around 1,400 people in a Damascus suburb.

Syria’s interim government, now under Sunni Islamist leadership, is led by Interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa. Over the weekend, he urged both Syrians and the international community to ensure accountability for those harming civilians or mistreating prisoners.

The counteroffensive against Assad loyalists in the Alawite-majority coastal areas has caused widespread destruction in several cities and towns. Rights groups have also reported numerous revenge killings, as Sunni militants have targeted members of the Alawite sect indiscriminately, regardless of their involvement in the insurgency.

Who are Alawites?

The Alawite sect, a branch of Shia Islam, was once the backbone of Assad’s government in a country with a Sunni-majority population.

Clashes between the new security forces and Assad loyalists began on Thursday in the Alawite heartland and have since escalated into what reports describe as mass killings.

Many of the victims are believed to be from the Alawite community, which is predominantly based in Syria’s coastal regions, particularly in cities like Latakia and Tartous. Rights organisations estimate that hundreds of civilians have been killed. Under Assad’s rule, opponents viewed Syria as a state where the Alawite community received preferential treatment. As the civil war escalated, various militant groups emerged, targeting Alawites, whom they associated with Assad and his primary military allies, Russia and Iran.

What led to the current violence?

Tensions have been escalating since Assad’s ousting, fueled by sectarian attacks on Alawites, who had ruled Syria for over five decades under the Assad dynasty. These attacks persisted despite assurances from Syria’s interim president that the new leadership would build an inclusive political future representing all communities.

Damascus attributed the widespread violence against civilians to “individual actions” and said that government security forces were responding to armed pro-Assad factions.

A top commander of a Syrian Kurdish armed group, which is engaged in a separate conflict with Turkey, accused Turkish-backed Islamist factions of committing some of the most severe atrocities, including the execution of Alawite civilians. Turkey has yet to respond to the allegations.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the mass killings were triggered by the arrest of a wanted suspect in an Alawite-majority village. However, by Saturday, the coastal region had seen a “relative return to calm.”

Interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s office announced the formation of an independent committee to investigate the violence carried out by both sides. Meanwhile, graphic videos of executions by fighters have been widely shared by Syrians, though HT.com has not independently verified them.

In a sudden ambush, pro-Assad Alawite gunmen overpowered government security forces and briefly seized control of Qardaha, Assad’s hometown, forcing Damascus to rush reinforcements.

Defence ministry spokesperson Col. Hassan Abdel-Ghani said on Sunday that security forces had regained control of the area and would continue pursuing the leaders of the insurgency.

Despite calls from authorities to end sectarian violence, the clashes turned deadly, resulting in significant civilian casualties.