The director of the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, Rami Abdulrahman, confirmed today that massacres perpetrated by Islamist regime forces in Syria are continuing unabated. According to his report, forces are systematically burning homes and conducting additional killings throughout the coastal region, home to Syria's Alawite minority. Abdulrahman stated that documentation exists for 745 Alawites murdered on sectarian grounds in what constitutes ethnic cleansing, describing these actions as "a war crime committed by the new government."
Disturbing footage circulating on social media shows regime forces lining Alawite men against walls and forcing them to bark like dogs. Armed operatives can be heard calling the civilians "dogs" while compelling them to curse their own Alawite community. Reports indicate these men were executed shortly afterward. Additional videos show executed Alawite bodies abandoned in the streets. One particularly shocking video depicts new regime forces using a crane to hoist a Syrian civilian into the air while violently shaking him.
Various Arab media outlets reported that Islamist forces have begun artillery and drone attacks around the city of Baniyas, creating widespread panic among the civilian population. Drone strikes specifically targeted mountainous and forested areas where civilians might seek refuge. Reports also confirm tank shelling throughout the coastal region.
Video: Syrian regime forces abuse Alawites. Credit: Arab media
Abdulrahman clarified that the 148 armed individuals killed in the coastal region were not "remnants of the Assad regime" as claimed by authorities, but rather Alawite fighters who had previously served in the now-collapsed Assad military. He further revealed that regime forces have burned tens of thousands of homes belonging to Alawite community members. The director also noted that on Thursday evening, activists within the forces openly called for the slaughter of Alawites.
Contradicting these accounts, a Syrian security source told Al-Arabiya that some participants in the clashes have fled to Lebanon. Another source confirmed to the channel that fighting has resumed in Latakia's suburbs, with exchanges of fire reported around the village of Btenitah in the province. The Islamist regime has recently claimed that Hezbollah provided support to elements in the coastal area, despite Hezbollah's denials. Reports also indicate several senior officials from the former regime have been arrested.
Against this backdrop of escalating violence, the Syrian Defense Ministry announced the commencement of "phase two" of their operation. Ministry spokesman Hassan Abd al-Rani stated, "after restoring security and stability to the coastal cities, our army forces and security mechanisms have begun implementing the second phase of the operation. Its objective is to pursue remnants and officers of the deposed regime in rural and mountainous areas."
In a speech delivered amid the massacres committed by his forces, Syrian ruler Abu Mohammad al-Julani claimed, "we must maintain national unity and civil peace. Syrians must understand that their country has the means to survive, and there is no concern as long as the revolution originated from the mosques."
