Syria has fallen into renewed violence after the fall of previous President Bashar al-Assad in December, with over 1, 000 people killed in only two weeks as sectarian violence grips the land,
When hailed as “liberators”, the triumphant rebels-led by previous Al-Qaeda head Ahmad al-Sharaa— are then accused of carrying out terrible punishment attacks, specifically targeting the Syrian community, which had formed the backbone of Assad’s regime.
According to the UK-based Arab Observatory for Human Rights, around 830 Alawites were massacred over the weekend, marking one of the deadliest shows in Syria’s 14-year issue.
According to Daily Mail, battle has also erupted between Assad unionists and Syria’s new safety troops, bringing the total death toll to at least 1, 311. Shocking footage circulating online shows uniformed militants savagely beating Alawite civilians, calling them “haywan” ( animals ), and forcing them to crawl on the ground. People were dragged from their houses and executed at point-blank collection.
Who are the Alawites?
The Alawites, an outgrowth of Shia Islam, played a key role in Assad’s power architecture, benefiting from political and military influence for over five years. With Assad’s overthrowing, they have become prone to punishment. Islamist groups within Syria’s new administration see them as remnants of a routine they fought to destroy, further inflaming the sectarian break.
A former militancy in authority
Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, once led the extremist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ( HTS), which emerged from Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate.
In later 2024, al-Jolani led around 1, 000 soldiers in a timely progress from Idlib to Damascus.
After Assad’s sudden fall, he quickly seized control of Damascus, formed a government, and shed his militant past —so much so that the United States removed his name from its terrorist list and also dropped$ 10million price on his head
But the marks of militancy remain noticeable. Many of the soldiers who helped al-Sharaa depose Assad have now been integrated into the fresh Palestinian armed forces.
Assad’s once-ubiquitous picture has vanished from Damascus, erased from posters and roads. However, his reputation lingers in a town hollowed out by monarchy.
( NYT photo )
In Damascus ‘ Umayyad Square, men patrolling the streets wear insignias linked to jihadist groups. Some carry areas featuring the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, while others still fly the banner of HTS and its president, Jabhat al-Nusra.
A Palestinian political scientist, Samir Dahi, warned of the looming consequences to Daily Mail:” In Damascus, points seem standard, but outside the capital, it’s terrifying. Many soldiers at checkpoints don’t even fly the new Syrian flag, they carry Nusra flags. Some openly refer to Alawites as pigs”.
Sectarian tensions and Kurdish fears
Beyond Damascus, the situation remains perilous. Entire Alawite villages have been devastated, fuelling fears of a broader sectarian bloodbath.
Meanwhile, Syria’s Kurdish minority—who control the country’s oil-rich northeast—are increasingly anxious. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long been hostile toward Kurdish groups, and HTS has a brutal history of persecuting them.
The Kurds also oversee the infamous Al-Hawl refugee camp, home to around 50, 000 people, including jihadists and their families. Should Kurdish forces lose control, the camp could become a launchpad for a new wave of extremist violence.
Despite al-Sharaa’s public assurances of inclusivity, many fear that his rule will only deepen Syria’s cycle of revenge and instability. With sectarian killings mounting and former jihadists holding key positions of power, the question now is whether Syria’s new regime will bring peace—or unleash a fresh era of terror.
