UN Report: War Crimes Likely Committed by Both Sides in Syria’s Coastal Violence

Baniyas, Syria – A United Nations report has concluded that war crimes were likely committed by both interim Syrian government forces and fighters loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad during a wave of sectarian violence in Syria’s coastal regions in March 2025. The clashes, described as the worst since the Assad regime was toppled in December 2024, left approximately 1,400 people dead, primarily civilians from Alawite communities.

The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry, chaired by Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, documented acts of murder, torture, and inhumane treatment, including the mishandling of the dead, based on over 200 interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as visits to mass grave sites. “The scale and brutality of the violence documented in our report is deeply disturbing,” Pinheiro said in a statement. According to the report, Alawite men were separated from women and children, then executed. Bodies were left in streets for days, with families barred from performing religious burial rites, while others were interred in undocumented mass graves. Hospitals in the region were overwhelmed by the scale of the killings. The commission found that while interim government forces attempted to curb violations and protect civilians, some members carried out “extrajudicial executions, torture, and ill-treatment” in Alawite-majority villages and neighborhoods in a “widespread and systematic” manner. However, the report noted no evidence of a government policy directing these attacks. Similarly, pro-Assad armed groups were found to have committed acts likely amounting to war crimes during the violence. The violence erupted following an arrest operation by interim authorities on March 6, which was met with deadly attacks by pro-Assad gunmen. A Syrian government fact-finding committee reported that 238 army and security personnel were killed in the provinces of Tartous, Latakia, and Hama. The committee identified 298 suspects involved in serious violations but found no evidence that Syria’s military leadership ordered attacks on Alawite communities. Pinheiro urged the interim government to expand efforts to hold perpetrators accountable, noting that while dozens of alleged offenders have been arrested, the scale of the violence demands further action. “We call on the interim authorities to continue to pursue accountability for all perpetrators, regardless of affiliation or rank,” he said.

The UN report underscores the ongoing challenges facing Syria’s interim government as it navigates the fragile transition following decades of Assad rule, with sectarian tensions continuing to fuel violence in the country’s coastal heartland.