ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Governor of Syria’s coastal province of Latakia on Wednesday blamed loyalists of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime for the recent violence that erupted in Alawite-majority regions west of the country, rejecting claims that the violence was sectarian.
Loyalists of ousted Syrian dictator Assad on Thursday launched an attack on security forces affiliated with the new Syrian leadership in regions to the west of Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Monday reported that around 1,500 people, mostly Alawites, have been killed in the violence by government or government-affiliated forces.
Governor of Latakia Mohammed Othman questioned the reported number of casualties, stating that “the statistics are highly exaggerated. The number [of fatalities] was not as high as reported and may have reached 500, with fatalities from various sects, not just the Alawite community.”
He further explained that “the killings occurred due to numerous violations… committed by individuals from both official and unofficial bodies,” but insisted that they “were not driven by sectarian motives.” He pointed out that members of the Christian, Murshidi and Sunni communities were also killed, and not only the Alawite community, to which Assad belongs.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday slammed "radical Islamist terrorists" for committing "massacres" against minorities in Syria, calling on the new leadership in Damascus to hold the perpetrators accountable. Several other Western countries and the United Nations have urged that the perpetrators of violations are held to account.
The Latakia governor said that the unrest began when “very large numbers of people poured into Latakia” after watching “images of [Damascus] security forces being killed or surrounded.” This influx of people, which included both affiliated forces and unaffiliated forces led to a series of violent events.
Othman also accused the Assad loyalists of “committing massacres” during their withdrawal, saying they disguised themselves as government security and military personnel, and explained that the authorities are still pursuing affiliates of the former regime “some of whom have been arrested while others fled to the mountains.”
Despite ongoing security challenges, Othman stated that the situation was gradually returning to normal “with shops reopening and residents returning to their homes.”
