Armed groups accused of killing Alawite communities in Syria have been redeployed to Ras al-Ayn (Serêkaniyê), a Kurdish-majority city in northern Syria, according to local sources. The city has been under Turkish control since 2019, following a military operation against Kurdish forces.
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Turkey-backed SNA divisions responsible for massacres of Alawites in Syria
The militias, reportedly part of the Syrian National Army (SNA), a Turkish-backed coalition, were involved in sectarian violence against Alawites in Syria’s coastal regions from early March onwards. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 1,476 civilians, mostly Alawites, were killed in these massacres by 13 March, with the deadliest attacks in Latakia, Tartous and Hama provinces. Most of the violations were committed by SNA factions, according to Fadel Abdul Ghany, founder of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, who noted that many killings targeted disarmed civilians, potentially constituting war crimes.
The attacks prompted protests in Turkey’s Hatay and Adana provinces, where Alawite groups accused the Turkish government of supporting the perpetrators. The Democratic Alevi Federation and the Democratic Alevi Women’s Union issued a joint statement condemning the violence as genocide, naming the SNA and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as key actors.
Local reports indicate the redeployment aims to reinforce Turkey’s military presence in Ras al-Ayn, amid ongoing tensions with Kurdish groups. The move has heightened fears among residents of potential new attacks, given the militias’ recent history of targeting minorities. Human rights organisations, along with Alawite and Kurdish communities in Turkey and Syria, have called for international intervention to prevent further violence.
