Syria is experiencing one of its deadliest outbreaks of violence since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad, with over 1,000 people killed in recent clashes. The violence, centered in Assad’s coastal strongholds, has escalated rapidly, drawing international concern and sparking urgent calls for accountability.

The violence first erupted when Syrian security forces attempted to detain a wanted individual near the coastal city of Jableh. Pro-Assad loyalists ambushed government forces, leading to intense fighting that has since spread across key towns in Latakia and Tartous provinces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that more than 1,000 people in total, including 745 civilians, have died in the conflict so far.

Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa condemned the violence in a national address on Sunday, blaming the clashes on Assad loyalists and unnamed foreign backers. “We will hold accountable, with full decisiveness, anyone who is involved in the bloodshed of civilians, mistreats civilians, exceeds the state’s authority or exploits power for personal gain,” Sharaa said.

 He also vowed to investigate the violence and called for national unity. His office announced the formation of an independent committee to probe the killings.

Following the initial clashes between Assad loyalists and government forces, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported on Sunday that a mass grave containing the bodies of recently slain security personnel was found near Qardaha, the hometown of former President Bashar al-Assad. The dissemination of the discovery reportedly triggered a sharp increase in revenge killings targeting Syria’s Alawite community, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam that was closely aligned with Assad’s regime. 

Witnesses and residents reported that Alawite civilians were executed in the streets and their homes were torched. The SOHR said that on just March 9th, roughly 300 Alawite civilians were ‘field executed,’ while 389 combatants were killed in armed confrontations. 

Just the day before, the war monitoring group wrote in a report titled ‘Bloodiest revenge ever,’ that over 560 civilians, including women and children were massacred in the previous two days between March 6th-8th.

Residents described harrowing scenes of violence. Ali Sheha, a Baniyas resident who fled the attacks, told Reuters that at least 20 of his neighbors were killed, some in their homes or shops. 

Another resident of Latakia recounted seeing gunmen moving door to door, executing Alawite men and forcing residents to show their identification cards before killing those of the minority sect. In one instance, which was also reported by CNN, a gunman was heard ordering a captive to bark like a dog before fatally shooting him.

The violence has drawn international condemnation. The United States and Russia requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address the crisis. France’s foreign ministry expressed “deep concern” and condemned atrocities committed against civilians. The U.N. human rights chief, Volker Turk, called on Syria’s interim leadership to ensure justice is served.

The unrest has also intensified existing regional tensions. Kurdish commander Mazloum Abdi accused Turkish-backed Islamist factions of carrying out some of the most brutal attacks, including civilian executions. Damascus authorities, meanwhile, claimed that “individual actions” by armed militias contributed to the violence. Pro-Assad insurgents reportedly targeted public utilities in recent days, disrupting electricity and water supplies across large parts of Latakia.

The deteriorating security situation has driven thousands to flee their homes. With reports of  residents from Alawite-majority towns have sought refuge in nearby mountains or at the Russian airbase in Hmeimim. Lebanese lawmaker Haidar Nasser warned that some Alawite families have crossed into Lebanon seeking safety.