Over 1,000 Killed in Syria Clashes Following Al-Assad's Ouster

More than 1,000 individuals, including 745 Alawite civilians, have died in Syria's coastal provinces amid clashes between security forces of the new Damascus administration and groups loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad. The clashes erupted on Thursday after Alawite insurgents attacked security forces in Jableh, Latakia, triggering the worst violence since Al-Assad's removal on December 8. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the death toll reached 1,018 by Saturday afternoon, with 745 civilians killed in sectarian massacres in the Alawite-majority western provinces. Syrian churches have denounced the massacres and called for an immediate end to the violence. Al Sharaa, who led HTS in the offensive against Al Asad, urged his forces to refrain from acts of revenge during the fighting.