Syrian Military Ends Operation Against Assad Loyalists as Death Toll Reaches 1,000

The Syrian Defense Ministry announced Monday the conclusion of military operations against supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Hassan Abdul Ghani declared that security forces “successfully neutralized threats” and secured vital areas after four days of intense fighting.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports the violence claimed approximately 1,500 lives since March 6, including 973 civilians. Most casualties belonged to the Alawite minority community, the same religious sect as the deposed Assad family.

The conflict erupted when pro-Assad fighters ambushed security forces in Latakia province last Thursday, killing at least 16 personnel. Government forces responded with a sweeping military campaign that quickly escalated across multiple coastal towns.

Witnesses from Jableh in Latakia province described horrific scenes of violence. “More than 50 people from among my family and friends have been killed. They gathered bodies with bulldozers and buried them in mass graves,” one resident told reporters.

The coastal region represents the heartland of Syria‘s Alawite minority, who formed Assad’s power base during his decades-long rule that ended in December 2024. The sudden fall of the regime three months ago created a power vacuum filled by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led by interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Al-Sharaa’s Response to Recent Violence and Investigations

Al-Sharaa vowed Sunday to “hold accountable, firmly and without leniency, anyone involved in the bloodshed of civilians.” His office announced the formation of an independent committee to investigate the killings on both sides.

The violence prompted accusations of “ethnic cleansing” against Alawites. Monitoring groups documented 39 separate “massacres” alongside home burnings and forced displacements in the region.

The defense ministry said public institutions will now resume operations and provide essential services. Security forces will shift focus to preventing future threats and dismantling remaining insurgent networks loyal to the former regime.

Iran, Assad’s longtime ally, denied involvement in the violence despite regional accusations. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned the attacks on minority communities, calling accusations against Tehran “utterly absurd.”

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