Members of security forces loyal to the interim government, in Syria’s western city of Latakia, March 2025.

By Dr. Muhammad Sabir Kareem:

There is no doubt that the current transitional authority in Syria, along with its affiliated organization, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, represent jihadist ideologies. It is clear that these jihadist forces do not believe in the rights of other groups, particularly those with differing ideologies, doctrines, or ethnic identities. Based on this, we must carefully analyze the current situation in Syria—especially in light of the events recently reported in Al-Sahel (6–8 March 2025), where, according to multiple sources such as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and several political analysis institutes, a massacre targeting the Alawite minority group took place.

The massacre in Al-Sahel was a tragic event that caused significant international reaction. Many Western leaders called upon the Syrian government in Damascus to intervene immediately to initiate a serious investigation. While the Damascus authority initially promised to launch an investigation and declared its commitment to transparency, after a month no findings or official statements have yet been made. New reports indicate another wave of sectarian violence, this time targeting the Druze minority, occurring on April 29, 2025 in Jaramana, a town near the capital, followed by another attack in Sahnaya involving Syrian security forces supported by allied Islamic armed groups in which over 100 people have been reported killed.