The death toll from two days of fighting between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad has risen to more than 1,000, a war monitoring group said Saturday. Footage of civilians being killed is emerging as the new interim government promised to hold accountable those responsible.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in addition to 745 civilians killed, mostly in shootings from close distance, 125 government security force members and 148 militants with armed groups affiliated with Assad were dead.
Most of the casualties are from the Alawite sect, raising concerns of revenge killing by Sunni militant groups now part of the interim government. Alawites made up a large part of Assad’s support base.
Syria’s interim government has sent reinforcements to coastal cities in the country’s northwest where security forces have been engaged in heavy battles. Security forces on Saturday said they had regained control of much of the areas in Tartous and Latakia governorates, where al-Assad loyalists carried out co-ordinated attacks at checkpoints, security convoys and military positions on Thursday.
In his first public comments since the surge in violence, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday called on the fighters to lay down their weapons and surrender “before it is too late”.
Al-Sharaa, who commanded the opposition forces that removed al-Assad after nearly 14 years of war, said government forces would “pursue the remnants of the fallen regime” and bring them “to a fair court”.
Syrian state media said “individual violations” have taken place during the operation against fighters loyal to al-Assad, in which civilians were attacked. A group of security forces has been arrested, while al-Sharaa has said anyone attacking civilians would be held accountable.
Meanwhile, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said he is “deeply alarmed” by reports of clashes and civilian killings in coastal areas.
“While the situation remains fluid and we are still determining the precise facts, there is clearly an immediate need for restraint from all parties, and full respect for the protection of civilians in accordance with international law,” Pedersen said in a statement.
