Violent Clashes in Syria’s Coastal Region: HTS Militants Attack Civilians Amid Unrest

By Staff, Agencies

Armed clashes have escalated in Syria’s coastal region as militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] engage in violent confrontations with Syrian civilians.

A Syrian war monitor reported on Saturday that 340 Syrian civilians have been murdered in recent days by the HTS. It indicated they were killed in "executions" and accompanied by "looting of homes and properties".

The conflict has led to thousands of civilians fleeing the violence, with heightened security measures in place, according to sources on Friday.

The violence erupted Thursday near the coastal city of Jableh, according to the UK-based so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights [SOHR].

The clashes intensified quickly the HTS militants stormed the villages of Sheer, Mukhtariyeh and Haffah, resulting in the deaths of 69 men, while women and children were spared. Another 60 individuals, including women and children, were killed in the town of Baniyas, SOHR reported.

The unrest has displaced thousands of civilians, with approximately 3,000 people fleeing toward Lebanon’s Akkar province, according to humanitarian groups.

As of Friday, SOHR reported that the towns of Jableh and Baniyas, along with nearby villages, remained under the control of HTS militants, and civilians have gathered in hopes of protection from the violence. Many have sought refuge near Russia's main airbase in the area, where they are calling for assistance in safeguarding their lives.

The civilian deaths bring the overall toll to 553 people.

The Britain-based Observatory has reported multiple "massacres" in recent days, with women and children among the dead. "The vast majority of the victims were summarily executed…," the group said on Friday.

The Observatory and activists released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled outside a house, with blood stains nearby and women wailing.

Other videos appeared to show men in military garb shooting people at close range.