Monitor: death toll in Coastal Syria surpasses 1,200 as violence escalates

Shafaq News/ The death toll from ongoing violence in Syria’s coastal region has risen to 1,225 civilians since hostilities erupted on March 6, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The violence spread through the coastal region—home to a significant Alawite population—on Thursday, after Syria’s government reported that its forces had been attacked by remnants of the former regime of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite. Security forces were deployed to quell the unrest, while mosques in government-held areas called for jihad, or holy struggle, amid the escalating tensions.

SOHR reported that at least 132 Alawite civilians were killed on Tuesday alone, including 72 in Tartus and 60 in Latakia. The fatalities were recorded in several locations, including Baniyas and Jabla, as well as other areas across both provinces.

Since the outbreak of violence—described as among the bloodiest 72 hours in Syria’s modern history—SOHR has documented at least 47 massacres in Latakia and Tartus. Clashes between Alawite armed groups and Syrian security forces escalated into widespread killings and field executions.

According to SOHR, the civilian death toll by province includes 658 in Latakia, 384 in Tartus, 171 in Hama, and 12 in Homs. The monitor noted that many of these deaths resulted from targeted sectarian and regional attacks, with reports of entire families being executed, homes set on fire, and forced displacements carried out by security forces and affiliated militias.

“The continued lack of accountability for those responsible has allowed these crimes to persist unchecked,” SOHR stated, raising concerns over potential war crimes and human rights violations.

Meanwhile, civilians fleeing the violence continue to seek refuge, with many crossing into Lebanon, carrying children and what little they can take with them.

Pressure is mounting on the Syrian government to investigate the incidents, particularly as reports of civilian deaths grow. "Many of the documented cases involve summary executions, appearing to have been carried out on a sectarian basis," UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters. He cited testimonies from survivors, stating that in some cases, men were executed in front of their families.