Investigation Finds Syrian Forces Kill 1500 Alawites

An investigation has revealed that 1500 Syrian Alawites were killed and dozens remain missing, as investigators uncovered 40 separate sites of revenge killings, looting, and rampages targeting the religious minority long linked to the fallen Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The investigation, released by Reuters, uncovers the divide between the two Islamic sects in Syria, a polarization that remains after the fall of Assad.

The report also comes in the light of the Trump administration lifting sanctions on Syria that date back to Assad’s rule. Syria’s new government comprises a now-dissolved Islamist faction, formerly known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which was previously al-Qaeda’s Syria branch, known as the Nusra Front, as per Reuters.

The group was formerly led by new Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and has been under U.N. sanctions since 2014.

As per the investigation, a dozen factions now under the new government’s command, participated in the killing of Alawites, a minority group in Syria.

Reuters identified several units involved in the killings, including the General Security Service—once the main law enforcement arm under HTS rule in Idlib and now part of the Interior Ministry. Former HTS factions such as the elite Unit 400 and the Othman Brigade were also implicated. 

In addition, newly aligned Sunni militias like the Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade and the Hamza Division took part; both have been sanctioned by the European Union for their role in the violence. However, the EU has not sanctioned the ex-HTS units, and the United States has yet to impose any penalties related to the deaths.

Al-Sharaa has appointed a committee to probe the violence and lead efforts toward “civil peace” through mediation initiatives. According to committee spokesperson Yasser Farhan, the president is expected to receive the committee’s findings within two weeks.

The team is currently reviewing evidence and compiling its final report, drawing on testimonies from more than 1,000 individuals, official briefings, and interrogations of detainees.

Farhan urged Reuters to hold off on publishing any findings ahead of the report’s release. “We are unable to provide any responses before completing this process in respect for the integrity of the truth,” he said. “I expect that you will find the results useful, and that they uncover the truth."