Syria has suffered its worst bloodshed since Bashar al-Assad was toppled from power, with more than 1,000 people reported killed in violence that has swept the coastal region since Thursday.

Once empowered by the regime, many Alawites now face reprisals from rebel factions and displaced Sunni populations who suffered under Assad's rule.

The phrase "Can a leopard change its spots?" (Jeremiah 13:23) best captures the global skepticism surrounding Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in December 2024.

Five days of sectarian violence sparks concerns that fighting could spread after three months of relative peace in the country

Entire families including women and children were killed in Syria's coastal region during a military crackdown against an insurgency by Bashar al-Assad loyalists, the U.N human rights office said on Tuesday.

Hundreds of people have reportedly fled their homes in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus - strongholds of Assad support. Local residents have described scenes of looting and mass killings, including of children.

By bna Cairo bureau Hundreds of civilians have been killed in Syria's coastal region during a military campaign against Alawites, the UN Human Rights Commission announced on March 11. In footage viewed by IntelliNews' Middle East and North Africa bureaus,