By Mirna Fahmy
More than three months after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, peace remains elusive in Syria. On Thursday, March 6, 2025—the sixth day of Ramadan—disturbing videos flooded social media, showing dead bodies, gunmen storming homes, and civilians being dragged into the streets. Outrage and confusion spread rapidly as people questioned what was happening in the war-torn country.
Violence and Ethnic Targeting
Reports from major news agencies, including Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, the BBC, and others, described the violence as “clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of the ousted President Bashar al-Assad.” According to these sources, pro-Assad fighters launched coordinated attacks against security personnel in the Latakia and Tartous governorates.
In Jableh and Baniyas, the Assad-aligned Coastal Shield Brigade launched brutal ambushes, killing at least 13 HTS fighters. A car bomb in Qardaha wiped out an entire HTS unit.
However, Assad loyalists deny fighting to restore Assad and numerous videos started circulating online of victims who are members of the Alawite community—a Muslim Shiite minority concentrated along Syria’s western coast and the sect to which the Assad family belongs, being executed en masse. The attacking armed men were identified as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) military forces.
The Wall Street Journal reported ongoing negotiations between Syria and Russia, with Moscow urging Damascus to issue an apology for its role in igniting the renewed conflict and to surrender Bashar al-Assad.
The Rise of HTS and Al-Julani’s Leadership
HTS emerged as Syria’s dominant power after toppling Assad’s regime in December 2024. Its leader, former al-Qaeda affiliate Abu-Muhammad al-Julani, rebranded himself as Ahmed al-Sharaa, shedding his militant image to assume the Syrian presidency for a four-year transitional period—without a public election.
In response to the recent violence, al-Julani addressed the nation on television, stating:
“Oh remnants, in the battle for liberation, we fought you while sparing your lives, despite your determination to take ours. We seek to rebuild the nation you destroyed, and we have no interest in shedding innocent blood. We fight with honor, while you fight without it. For decades, you have spilled Syrian blood, and despite our preference for amnesty, you persist in your aggression. I am certain you will not comprehend our message, but our duty is only to convey the truth.”
Al-Julani further vowed to pursue the remnants of the former regime, particularly those who refused to continue their oppression and tyranny. Al-Julani is keen to maintain exclusive control over military weapons, restricting them from all other factions.
Social Media Reactions and Civilian Testimonies
Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), became the primary source of unfiltered updates. Prominent accounts such as OstensibleOyster, the Alawite Muslim Defence League, Syrian Rum and many more accounts provided real-time reports, more beyond mainstream media narratives. These accounts accused al-Julani’s forces of orchestrating mass killings and executions targeting Alawite civilians.
Photos of entire families with their names have been fired all over social media. Four university students from Druze and Alawite communities in Tartus and Latakia were shot while en route to their campuses, were widely shared. In Latakia, names of Christian people from Dahr Safra have been mentioned that they were executed by HTS forces. Hour by hour, more names and photos from different towns and cities appear and are added to the list of the dead. Just type in English or Arabic these keywords on any social media platform “Syria”, “Druze”, “Christians”, “Alawite” and floods of photos and videos will thread down the time line.
Journalists and many accounts on X have been contacting many civilians who are hiding their existence as many armed men are patrolling their houses to arrest any targeted civilians and kill them.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the death toll had reached 1,311 people in 72 hours. SOHR stated as well that 125 members of the General Security, the Ministry of Defense and allied forces, including at least 93 Syrians, were killed in the clashes. It also indicated that 148 militants from the remnants of the former regime and their loyalists from the coast were killed in the recent events. Some Alwaite sources on social media say that the number of the killed actually exceeds between 4000 and 9000.
The Other Face
Egyptian TV presenter Tawfik Okasha noted on his X account that Al-Julani’s forces have been influencing Arab media outlets, to shape the conflict’s narrative.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yisrael Katz reacted sharply, posting on X:
“Al-Julani removed his militant garb, donned a suit, and posed as a moderate. Now, he has shed the mask, revealing his true face as a jihadist terrorist. Israel will defend itself against any Syrian threat. We will secure the Golan and Galilee and protect the Druze population—any harm to them will trigger our response.”
Outlining the actions of the new Syrian regime, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated in one of the U.S.Senator assembly meeting: “Today, an Islamist extremist is in charge of Syria— who once danced in the streets to celebrate the 9/11 attacks. Under their rule in Idlib, extremist governance prevailed, and religious minorities, including Christians, faced persecution and death.” Gabbard highlighted that Assad was the only thing standing in the way of the total erasure of Christians in the Middle East and the media called her a Russian asset.
U.S. Secretary State Marc Rubio condemned the massacres labelling the Syria Regime “radical Islamist terrorists” that includes foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days. Rubio added that The United States (U.S.) stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families. He denounces that Syria’s interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria’s minority communities accountable.
Amid widespread atrocities, al-Julani insisted that any fighters harming defenseless civilians would face accountability.
Alawite Plea for Israeli Assistance
In a dramatic shift, the Alawite Muslim Defence League, which previously focused solely on Alawite interests, declared solidarity with Druze and Christian minorities. The group issued an SOS call to Israel, pleading for military intervention:
“Alawites demand direct Israeli military intervention, We reject to live with Syrians & their terrorist Islamist regime, we want Israel to annex our Alawite State to be part of Israel”
The organization acknowledged past mistakes in aligning with Iran-backed Hezbollah and Russia, stating that these alliances had ultimately betrayed them. The events of March 7—labeled #Bloody_Friday_Massacre on social media—marked a turning point.
The head of the Alawite community in Türkiye says that the Alawites in Syria asked him to turn to Israel to save them.
Many Syrian Alawites, Christians and Druze have fled seeking refuge in the Russian Hmeimim military base, escaping the massacres they were subjected to at the hands of Al-Julani.
On Press TV, some rushed to the borders of Lebanon pleading for safety away from the massacres and some went to the majority Druze cities whereas the Druze promised them to protect them if danger approaches.
Israel’s alliance with Druze and Kurds
Since the fall of Assad, Israel promised the Kurds to establish their long-waiting dream state which is Kurdistan in Northern Syria. The Jerusalem Post reported that Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi welcomed Israeli aid to protect Kurdish achievements, as regional tensions and security challenges persist. In reference to Kurdish reports and accounts, Israel is helping the SDF in its fight against HTS and its backed Turkish fighters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed Israel’s alliance with both the Druze and Kurdish communities, stating:
“Our hand is extended to our Druze allies and Kurdish friends in the region.”
According to Newsweek, growing numbers of Druze in Syria are seeking refuge in Israel, with some leaders expressing a desire to live under Israeli governance.
Meanwhile, at the Cairo Summit on Gaza Reconstruction (March 4, 2025), al-Julani demanded international pressure on Israel to withdraw from southern Syria, claiming that Israeli policies are threatening regional security.
Israeli Military Operations in Syria
On March 3, IDF Spokesperson Avichay Adraee confirmed Israeli airstrikes on a Qardaha military site storing weapons from Assad’s regime. Since Assad’s fall, Israel has destroyed 70-80% of Syria’s former military assets and occupied over 600 square kilometers—more than twice the size of Gaza—including areas near Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights.
Israel has called for the complete demilitarization of southern Syria, particularly Quneitra, Daraa, and Suwayda (Druze Majority). The IDF has constructed at least nine outposts in Syria and continues to deploy advanced military technology and border defenses.
Previous Warnings
Many political analysts, particularly the most famous Emirati Journalist and political analyst AmjadTaha who always speaks about radical Islamism and terrorism, previously warned of the dangers of Islamist rule in Syria. They argued that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and former al-Qaeda affiliates pose an existential threat to Middle Eastern stability.
Taha even noted a recurring theme in expert assessments is that Syria will likely experience a counter-revolution aimed at restoring a secular, democratic state. They point to past failures of Islamist rule in Libya and Egypt as precedents.
Egyptian journalist Tawfik Okasha suggested that the current reign may be short-lived, predicting that a less radical government could soon emerge.
In conclusion, Syria remains embroiled in chaos. The downfall of Assad has not brought stability but rather ushered in a new era of violence and shifting power dynamics. With HTS consolidating control, Israel expanding its influence, and ethnic and religious minorities seeking refuge, the country stands at yet another crossroads. The world watches as Syria’s fate hangs in the balance.