Syrian authorities launch aggressive crackdown in Alawite coastal region, resulting in fatalities among armed assailants

In recent developments, tensions have escalated in Syria, particularly affecting the Alawite communities in Damascus and coastal regions.

The Interior Ministry has reported a series of clashes between security forces and "terrorist cells" in the Alawite heartland, including rural Tartus, where several gunmen were killed. According to the Ministry, one of the cells neutralized was responsible for the killing of two security personnel in Tartus last month.

The unrest in the Alawite areas can be traced back to June, when hundreds of people were killed in a campaign to subdue the mostly Druze southern province of Sweida, near the border with Jordan. Since then, Alawite communities have faced continued violence, with abductions, random killings, and drive-by shootings reported in coastal and central Syria.

The order to leave their homes has been enforced by militias from the adjacent Sunni district of Modamyeh, primarily Islamist rebel groups and opposition fighters involved in the Syrian civil conflict. Thousands of Alawite families in the Somariyyeh neighborhood of Damascus have been ordered to vacate their homes by local authorities.

The Alawites, who underpinned the former Assad family regime, which ruled majority-Sunni Syria from 1970 to 2024, have been the core of the security apparatus and held key managerial positions in the government. However, many Alawite officers and senior officials fled urban centers after Assad's removal.

The economy of Somariyyeh, a neighbourhood known for illegal concentrations of Alawites, was largely dependent on smuggled goods from Lebanon. The source of many goods in Syria during the former regime was also from Lebanon.

The situation has raised concerns among Alawite communities, with Mohammad Zuaiter, a prominent Alawite civil figure, stating that the current events are not a good sign for other Alawites in Damascus.

Israeli intervention has prevented a complete takeover of the area by the army and tribal auxiliaries, but the future remains uncertain for the displaced Alawite families, many of whom are seeking refuge in the coast or areas in the interior, such as Mesyaf.

The elite Fourth Division, controlled by Maher Al Assad, brother of Bashar Al Assad, has set up a base in the Somariyyeh area, suggesting a potential military response to the ongoing unrest.

As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that the Alawite communities in Syria are facing significant challenges, with the potential for further displacement and violence looming.

Syrian authorities launch aggressive crackdown in Alawite coastal region, resulting in fatalities among armed assailants