Syria’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has urged Alawite insurgents to surrender after deadly clashes, as the country’s security forces executed 162 Alawites in a massive operation. The warning came amidst the fiercest attacks on the war-torn nation’s new rulers yet.
Over 250 people have been killed since Thursday’s clashes erupted along Syria’s western coast. Sharaa vowed to monopolise weapons in the hands of the state, pledging “there will be no more unregulated weapons.” Western powers and neighbours have emphasised unity in the new Syria, which is seeking funds for reconstructing a nation ravaged by years of war.
The Britain-based Observatory reported five separate massacres left 162 civilians dead, including women and children. The United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, decried “troubling reports of civilian casualties” and called on all sides to refrain from actions destabilising the country.
Source: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/03/syrias-sharaa-urges-alawites-surrender-after-deadly-clashes