Militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) carried out a violent assault over the weekend, killing at least 1,500 civilians in Alawite-majority areas along Syria’s western coast.

Footage circulating online shows unarmed civilians subjected to brutal beatings, executions, and other violent acts, with HTS fighters allegedly recording themselves committing the atrocities.

The attacks took place in Latakia, Tartus, Baniyas, and Jableh, where civilians were reportedly dragged from their homes and executed at point-blank range.

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Some victims were seen crawling next to the corpses of their neighbors as militants struck them with branches and sticks.

Others were burned alive or buried in mass graves, according to graphic images that have surfaced on social media.

From what I’m hearing from Syrians contacting me, the situation there is 1000 times worse than what the mainstream media is telling you.

Christians and other minorities are being massacred.

Children, women, the elderly, entire families have been slaughtered.

Let the world know

— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) March 9, 2025

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HTS authorities in Damascus claimed the operation was aimed at pro-Assad militias, specifically the Coastal Shield Brigade, a group of former Syrian military personnel who fled to the western coast after HTS took control of Damascus in December.

However, growing evidence suggests that unarmed civilians bore the brunt of the violence rather than combatants.

Videos posted online appear to show HTS militants laughing and waving to the camera as they carried out executions, with their faces clearly visible.

Witnesses described horrific scenes, including women forced to strip and walk through the streets before being executed.

🇸🇾 A Christian in Syria is asking for help, because people in his village are being killed. pic.twitter.com/TETZyGDOYx

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) March 9, 2025

Local survivor Samir Haidar, 67, said his two brothers and nephew were killed when armed groups stormed their homes in Baniyas, approximately 25 kilometers south of Latakia.

“They entered the building and killed my only neighbor,” Haidar recalled.

He and his family managed to escape to a Sunni-majority neighborhood, adding, “If I had been five minutes late, I would have been killed.”

Since seizing power, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has sought to legitimize his rule, claiming that Syria’s diverse religious and ethnic groups would be safe under his government.

However, the recent massacres have raised concerns about the group’s true intentions, particularly as HTS originated as the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda under the name Jabhat al-Nusra.

Despite its rebranding and claims of political reform, HTS still enforces strict Sharia law, and regional leaders, including the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in Rojava, have warned that HTS remains a jihadist organization under a different name.

The United States, which has historically supported Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, issued a strong condemnation of the massacres.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for accountability, stating:

“We urge Syrian authorities to hold the perpetrators of these massacres accountable. Washington stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities.”

The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days. The United States stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities,…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 9, 2025

Rubio’s statement comes as HTS requests that Western nations lift sanctions to help rebuild Syria’s economy.

However, both the U.S. and European governments remain skeptical, warning that lifting sanctions before true political reforms take place could lead to another phase of authoritarian rule.

HTS has promised to investigate the violence, announcing a committee of judges to oversee inquiries.

However, Sharaa has not acknowledged the growing body of evidence implicating his own fighters.

As HTS consolidates control over western and central Syria, major portions of the country remain outside its rule.

Rojava continues to operate as a secular, self-governing region, while ISIS cells remain active in the east, and Turkish-backed militias hold territory in the north.

With elections scheduled for March, many within Syria and the international community remain skeptical that HTS will relinquish power.

Whether this massacre will affect HTS’s grip on Syria—or lead to further international isolation—remains to be seen.