Violence erupted across north-west Syria last week after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, with more than 1,000 people killed in four days of fighting that saw at least 745 civilians die. The wave of bloodshed has targeted Alawites, a minority sect from which the former president hailed.
Masked men stormed Arza village, killing eight men on their knees and claiming they were seeking revenge against Alawite residents. Just three weeks later, the same town was again ravaged by violence as crowds from nearby Sunni villages killed 32 people in cold blood, with some claiming a long-standing feud over alleged extortions.
Experts warn that for Syria to survive under its new rulers, reconciliation and transitional justice are key. Fadel Abdulghany, founder of human rights group SNHR, says “revenge must not be taken by your own hands” as both victims and perpetrators face a complex process of accountability.
Syria’s president Sharaa has promised to establish real transitional justice, including holding accountable Assad-era officials for human rights violations. However, his government faces criticism for initially denying the killings in Arza, with an official later saying three people were killed before insisting the violence was not sectarian.
The aftermath of the massacre sees many Alawite residents planning to flee Lebanon, where they joined at least 6,000 fellow Syrians last week. “We fled with only the clothes on our back,” said one resident who planned to smuggle himself out over the weekend. The displacement has left Arza a deserted town, with buildings stripped of belongings and homes reduced to rubble.
A committee was set up by Sharaa to investigate the violence, promising full accountability for those involved in the bloodshed. However, questions remain about how this will be achieved in the absence of clear evidence and the government’s track record on human rights abuses under Assad’s rule.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/15/revenge-attacks-alawite-arza-latakia-syria