Amnesty International: Massacres in Syria’s Coastal Region Are ‘War Crimes’

ARK News.. Amnesty International has classified last month’s sectarian massacres targeting the Alawite minority in Syria’s coastal region as "war crimes."

In a statement released on Thursday, April 3, 2025, Amnesty International called on the Syrian government to ensure accountability for those responsible for the mass killings of Alawite civilians in coastal areas.

The organization emphasized that these massacres "must be investigated" as war crimes, adding that uncovering the truth, delivering justice, and providing reparations are essential to ending cycles of atrocities.

The sectarian violence, which erupted on March 6, was described as the worst since factions led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The massacres were concentrated in the Alawite-majority coastal region, the sect to which the Assad family belongs.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian security forces and allied militias carried out mass killings and "field executions," resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,700 civilians, the vast majority of whom were Alawites. Most of the massacres took place on March 7 and 8.

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