A wave of violence has swept through the Homs area in western Syria, where fighters linked to the new ruling authorities executed 35 individuals within 72 hours, according to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This follows the recent ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, heightening tensions in a region already fraught with fear and uncertainty. The Civil Peace Group confirmed civilian casualties in multiple villages during a security sweep, sparking outrage and concern among local communities.
Syrian authorities accused a "criminal group" of leveraging security operations to perpetrate abuses against residents. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights highlighted the involvement of dozens of local armed groups aligned with the new Sunni Islamist coalition, who allegedly "carried out reprisals and settled old scores with members of the Alawite minority." Bashar al-Assad's regime, which largely consisted of Alawite members, has incited fears of retaliation following its fall from power last month.
The recent actions by the new authorities underscore their attempts to establish control. They conducted several arrests in the Homs area for unspecified "violations." Most of those executed were former officers from the Assad administration who had reported to centers established by the new regime. These developments have raised alarms about potential human rights violations.
"These arrests follow grave violations and summary executions that had cost the lives of 35 people over the past 72 hours," stated the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Civil Peace Group strongly condemned these actions, labeling them as "unjustified violations," including the killing of unarmed men. The Syrian authorities have promised to protect religious and ethnic minorities, a pledge aimed at calming fears among Assad's Alawite community. However, reports of "mass arbitrary arrests, atrocious abuse, attacks against religious symbols, mutilations of corpses," and "summary and brutal executions targeting civilians" have tarnished these assurances.
"Dozens of members of local armed groups under the control of the new Sunni Islamist coalition in power who participated in the security operations," reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights relies on an extensive network of sources within Syria to monitor these situations. Their findings suggest that the security sweep in Homs was marred by chaos, an abundance of weapons, and connections to the new authorities, exacerbating an already volatile environment.