The defense ministry of Syria has announced the completion of a military operation in the western coastal region, following days of violence that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people. Security forces have neutralized loyalists of former president Bashar al-Assad in various towns in Latakia and Tartous provinces, paving the way for normalcy to return. More than 1,500 people, including 1,068 civilians, have been killed in the violence, with gunmen loyal to the Sunni Islamist-led government accused of carrying out revenge killings. An independent committee will be set up to investigate the killings, with the interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, promising accountability for the perpetrators. The operation aimed to address an insurgency by Assad loyalists in the heartland of the Alawite sect. Reports of revenge killings and looting in Alawite towns and villages have emerged, with residents recounting harrowing experiences. The death toll in Latakia, Tartous, Hama, and Homs provinces has surpassed 1,540, with the majority being civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Security sources have also reported casualties among security personnel. A mass grave containing the bodies of security personnel was discovered in Qardaha. La cadena de televisión siria con sede en Turquía citó a residentes que dijeron que los leales a Assad habían enterrado a policías asesinados en los recientes enfrentamientos allí.
El jefe de derechos humanos de la ONU, Volker Türk, dijo que su oficina había recibido “informes extremadamente perturbadores de familias enteras, incluidas mujeres, niños y combatientes hors de combat, siendo asesinados”.
“Hay informes de ejecuciones sumarias en base sectaria por perpetradores no identificados, por miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad de las autoridades interinas, así como por elementos asociados con el gobierno anterior”, agregó.
Exigió una acción rápida por parte de las autoridades interinas de Siria para proteger a los civiles y hacer que los responsables de los asesinatos y otras violaciones rindan cuentas.