Networks of foreign accounts 'spreading sectarian hate' in Syria

An investigative report by BBC Arabic has uncovered a coordinated network of foreign-based accounts operating on  X aimed at spreading disinformation and inciting sectarian tensions in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime. 

According to the report, the networks are systematically managed and are part of organised digital campaigns targeting the new Syrian government and religious minority communities. The BBC team analysed over two million posts related to Syrian events, with a detailed sample of 400,000 posts on X.

The investigation revealed widespread patterns of disinformation, including the dissemination of false claims, the recycling of outdated content, and the use of fake accounts for propaganda purposes.

More than 60% of the accounts sharing misleading content were located outside Syria, with activity concentrated in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran. One example cited was a false claim on 9 March about the execution of a priest at Mar Elias Church in Idlib - an allegation that the church later denied.

Fake accounts were also found circulating unrelated old videos, including a 2013 clip that was falsely presented as showing the destruction of a statue of the Virgin Mary by extremist factions. That video, the BBC said, was widely shared by accounts primarily active in Iraq.

The investigation identified further signs of coordinated manipulation, including simultaneous posting, scheduled repetition of identical content, and usernames with numerical sequences such as "Qasef 1, 2, 3," suggesting the use of automated bots in systematic propaganda efforts.

Although many of the networks were focused on anti-government narratives, the BBC also documented large-scale online activity supporting Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

Over 80,000 such posts, primarily originating from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, employed similar tactics, including formulaic repetition and the amplification of the president’s image as a "reformist leader" through nearly identical or slightly altered language.

The investigation also found evidence of targeted sectarian incitement against the Alawite community. Over 100,000 inflammatory posts were recorded in recent months, most from accounts based in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

These posts included derogatory language such as "infidels", "Alawite clique", "criminals" and "gangs" with some messages openly calling for "killing".

According to the report, the accounts responsible for this content exhibited identical posting patterns and vocabulary, often publishing similar posts in quick succession to flood X with hate speech.

Many of the accounts featured randomly generated usernames made up of letters and numbers, indicating that they were likely created for the sole purpose of pushing coordinated messaging. These accounts also frequently reposted from each other, further amplifying anti-Alawite narratives.

The investigation also highlighted a wave of sectarian content that coincided with violence in Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, in April.

That unrest was sparked by a fabricated audio recording falsely attributed to Sheikh Marwan Kiwan, a prominent Druze cleric, which included insults against the Prophet Muhammad. The fake clip triggered widespread anger and led to deadly clashes.

Sheikh Kiwan, in a statement to the BBC, denied any connection to the recording, asserting that the fabrication was intended “to sow discord among the components of Syrian society.” He warned that the incident could be used “to justify the extermination of the Druze people after the violations faced by the Alawite community.”

Syria’s Ministry of Defence also issued a statement at the time, confirming that the audio was entirely fake and not linked to Sheikh Kiwan.

The BBC found that initial posts promoting the fake recording originated from accounts inside Syria but were quickly amplified by others based in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. These posts were often accompanied by explicit calls for violence and hate speech targeting the Druze community.