Alawite Blood Flows as Syria's Sectarian Nightmare Ignites Anew

Recent escalations in Syria, particularly following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in early November 2025, have heated up with reports of sectarian violence targeting the Alawite minority, who were closely associated with Assad's rule.

This includes killings, kidnappings, and attacks in areas like Homs and coastal regions, sparking protests, curfews, and fears of broader ethnic cleansing.

Key Incidents of Violence Against Alawites

Homs Clashes (Yesterday, November 24, 2025): A married couple from the Bani Khalid Bedouin tribe was found murdered in Zaydal, southern Homs, with the woman's body partially burned and sectarian graffiti at the scene. This triggered retaliatory attacks by armed Bedouins on Alawite neighborhoods like al-Muhajirin, Hamah, Karam, and al-Qussur, involving arson, kidnappings, injuries, and deaths. Authorities imposed a curfew, deployed troops, and launched investigations, but tensions persist.

Protests erupted in Latakia, with hundreds demonstrating against the violence, calling for protection and unity.

Coastal Violence and Trials (Mid-November 2025): Earlier clashes in Tartus and Latakia killed dozens, marking some of the worst post-Assad sectarian bloodshed. Attacks targeted new government forces but escalated into broader violence against Alawites, with reports of massacres and forced displacements. Syria's new authorities (led by Ahmed al-Sharaa of HTS) held the first public trial on November 18 for 14 suspects linked to these attacks, aiming for accountability, but critics call it insufficient or politically motivated.

Alawite leaders have condemned the new Damascus government as "terrorist and sectarian," accusing it of failing to protect minorities.

The Federation of Arab Alawites in Europe issued an emergency appeal on November 24, labeling the attacks as crimes against humanity and calling for UN investigations and EU protections, warning of potential "cultural and demographic elimination."

The violence stems from post-Assad power shifts, with Sunni Islamist rebels (HTS) now in control, leading to revenge attacks against Alawites perceived as regime loyalists. This has raised alarms of genocide or erasure for the Alawite community (about 10-12% of Syria's population), alongside risks to other minorities like Druze and Christians.

Analysts note that while HTS promotes unity, local militias and tribal tensions are fueling chaos, complicating stabilization.

The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council rejected HTS-led trials as illegitimate, demanding independent international probes.

International ResponseCalls for U.S. and EU leadership in guaranteeing minority protections and unity.

Human rights groups like HRW and Amnesty are urged to document and report, but no major interventions reported yet.

Some criticism ties U.S. policy (e.g., meeting with Sharaa) to enabling violence, though no official U.S. response on these incidents.

The situation remains volatile, with risks of wider sectarian conflict threatening Syria's fragile transition.