More than 2,400 Alawite civilians have been killed by forces of the Syrian government over the last two days, according to an investigation by London Insider in conjunction with more than 60 activists and other sources on the ground.
HTS and other Islamist militant groups began rounding up Alawite civilians, primarily in the coastal region, after a number of attacks were reported against government patrols in Jableh and Latakia.
These attacks were reportedly carried out by soldiers of the Syrian Army who served during President Bashar al-Assad’s rule, and they came amid months of violence and persecution against Alawites and other Syrian minorities.
Over 130 videos verified by London Insider collectively show at least 2,400 civilians have been killed by HTS and other government forces in the last 48 hours in field executions.
The true number of civilian casualties is likely to be several times higher, as HTS fighters have been ordered not to post videos of their atrocities as new Syrian President and former ISIS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attempts to whitewash his Jihadist ties. In numerous videos, the cameraman can be heard being told to stop recording.
One Syrian activist, speaking on the condition of anonymity over fears of retaliation from HTS, said Syria’s new government has launched a “genocide” of the Alawite population and noted instances of violence against Christians and Druze in recent weeks.
“The international community is shameful and silent as the Alawite genocide continues. All Alawites are living in total fear as they have seen footage of other civilians being murdered in cold blood.”
He added that numerous children and women are among the dead, and scores of other civilians have been kidnapped, while younger women are being taken as sex slaves.
“Syria has not experienced barbarism of this scale since the fall of ISIS,” he continued.
Another Syrian, based in Damascus, said that the sectarian violence hasn’t spread to the capital, but stressed that Alawites, Christians and minorities have been experiencing persecution ever since HTS seized control in early December.
“Many Alawites and Christians have been forcefully evicted and are homeless. HTS militants are kicking minorities out of their houses and taking their property.
“In some cases, non-Syrian Jihadists from places like Dagestan and Uzbekistan are being gifted their homes.”
London Insider has reached out to UK Foreign Minister David Lammy for comment on the unfolding Alawite genocide in Syria, and the British government’s rapprochement with the HTS-led government.