‘No One Is Above the Law’: Syria’s Coastal Massacres Spark Calls for Justice
A wave of massacres targeting Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal region has left over 1,000 dead, prompting an investigation and demands for accountability
Videos circulating on social media depicting what were described as horrific massacres against Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal region have sparked shock both locally and internationally. The videos have prompted calls for an investigation into the atrocities, which Syrian activists accuse government-affiliated forces of committing.
A video circulating on social media purports to show the victims of massacres in Syria being buried in mass graves.
While some activists claim that certain reports of massacres lack proper documentation, The Media Line visited Al-Sanobar, a village in the Jableh countryside of Latakia, and witnessed evidence of a series of civilian killings targeting the Alawite community.
Although no official civilian death toll exists, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the number of fatalities from the recent wave of violence in the coastal region has surpassed 1,000. Meanwhile, the Syrian government announced the formation of an investigative committee tasked with uncovering the circumstances of the attacks and prosecuting those responsible.
Accessing Al-Sanobar was difficult due to the heavy security measures imposed by government forces. Residents told The Media Line that no young men remain in the village—all were killed by forces allegedly affiliated with the Syrian government.
Members of the General Security Service, Syria’s main police force, which operates under the Interior Ministry. (Rizik Alabi/The Media Line)
Khaled (a pseudonym) shared the heartbreaking story of his elderly mother, who was shot in the head when troops entered the village. The Media Line documented the deaths of 193 civilians in Al-Sanobar alone.
The village bears the scars of what residents describe as an unjust war. Fear dominates daily life, with internet and electricity cut off and survivors stripped of their mobile phones.
It felt like a nightmare. Gunfire erupted suddenly, and the soldiers stormed homes, killing people without asking questions.
Zina, a resident of Al-Sanobar, told The Media Line: “It felt like a nightmare. Gunfire erupted suddenly, and the soldiers stormed homes, killing people without asking questions. Dozens of our neighbors were killed, and their bodies were left in the streets for days with no one able to bury them.”
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the massacres were carried out by a combination of official government forces, local militias, and foreign Islamist fighters formally linked to the Ministry of Defense but without clear organizational integration. Armed civilians also reportedly supported government troops despite lacking formal military affiliations.
The network’s report states that the security operations, launched after coordinated attacks by “remnants of the Assad regime,” quickly escalated into violent clashes, extending beyond the pursuit of direct perpetrators.
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Most Al-Sanobar residents now sleep outdoors, unable to return to their homes due to the government’s intensified security crackdown. The Media Line documented a mass grave in the village where victims were hastily buried.
I lost dozens of my relatives, all civilians. The government didn’t even deny what happened.
Hassan, an Al-Sanobar native who fled before the massacres, called for a transparent investigation and accountability for the perpetrators, telling The Media Line: “I lost dozens of my relatives, all civilians. The government didn’t even deny what happened.”
Meanwhile, a woman from Al-Sanobar told The Media Line that since the fall of the Assad regime, fighters from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had coexisted peacefully with villagers for four months. She insisted that the perpetrators of the massacres were not HTS members but rather foreign fighters who entered the village, spewing sectarian slurs before killing residents. She declined to reveal her name for security reasons.
The United States condemned the killing of civilians by what it called “radical Islamist terrorists,” urging the transitional administration to hold the perpetrators accountable. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated: “The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days.”
Over the past few days, 39 mass killings have claimed the lives of over 1,000 civilians, though military operations in the coastal region have since quieted.
Amid media misinformation and the fog of war, Rami Makhlouf, the cousin of ousted President Bashar Assad, blamed Brig. Gen. Ghiath Dalla, former chief of staff in the 4th Armored Division led by Maher al-Assad, for the recent bloodshed.
Addressing Dalla, Makhlouf wrote: “What have you done to our people? Did you trade their blood for money? Didn’t you expect a violent backlash after what you did to the security forces? Why did you drag these helpless civilians into your conflict and exploit their poverty?”
Makhlouf also criticized Assad, calling him a “fleeing president,” adding: “Wasn’t destroying the country, dividing it, shattering the army, collapsing the economy, and starving the people enough? And after all that, you fled with stolen wealth that could have fed every hungry citizen?”
What happened in Syria wasn’t random violence—it was systematic killing against the Alawites
Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told The Media Line: “What happened in Syria wasn’t random violence—it was systematic killing against the Alawites. People were slaughtered for their identity, and the perpetrators must face justice.”
According to Abdulrahman, some villages were targeted after calls to “kill the Alawites” were broadcast from mosques. The Syrian government, however, insists that the violence stemmed from individual actions rather than state policy.
In response to the massacres, Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, announced the formation of the national independent commission to investigate the coastal region’s events. The commission pledged to hold all perpetrators accountable, emphasizing that the law must be applied equally to everyone, regardless of their position or religious or ethnic background.
Yasser al-Farhan, the commission’s spokesperson, said during a press conference in Damascus: “No one is above the law. Anyone found guilty of human rights violations will face accountability, and our findings will be submitted to the presidency and judiciary for further action.”
Yasser al-Farhan, spokesperson for the national independent commission investigating the recent massacres, gives a press conference in Damascus, Syria, March 11, 2025. (Rizik Alabi/The Media Line)
Farhan stressed that the commission would not release investigation results publicly to protect witnesses; instead, it would share findings exclusively with relevant judicial bodies. He confirmed that the commission aims to conclude its investigations within 30 days, welcoming international cooperation while prioritizing national resources.
The commission, composed of five judges, a security officer, and a human rights lawyer, will investigate the root causes of the events, document civilian abuses, identify responsible parties, and refer those implicated to the courts.
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the new Syrian authorities have launched a reconciliation initiative for former regime elements willing to surrender their weapons and who do not have blood on their hands. While tens of thousands accepted the offer, remnants of the old regime, particularly in the coastal region, rejected it, retreating to mountain hideouts to stage sporadic attacks.
Despite the ongoing trauma, Al-Sanobar’s survivors continue to seek justice, hoping that their testimonies to The Media Line will contribute to accountability and prevent history from repeating itself.
