Syria identifies 298 suspects in Alawite heartland killings

A Syrian committee investigating sectarian violence in the country's Alawite heartland said Tuesday that it had identified 298 suspects implicated in serious violations during bloodshed that left at least 1,426 members of the religious minority dead in March.

The findings come after fresh violence involving the country's Druze community, raising further questions over the Islamist authorities' ability to manage sectarian tensions and maintain security after the December ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad - himself an Alawite who cultivated an image as being a protector of minorities.

The March violence unfolded on Syria's predominantly Alawite coast, where government forces and allied groups were accused of carrying out summary executions, mostly targeting Alawite civilians, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights saying more than 1,700 were killed.

The committee's investigation documented "serious violations against civilians on March 7, 8 and 9, including murder, premeditated murder, looting, destruction and burning of homes, torture and sectarian insults", spokesman Yasser al-Farhan told a press conference in Damascus.

The committee confirmed "the names of 1,426 dead, including 90 women, with most of the rest being civilians" from the Alawite community, he said, adding that an unspecified number of further dead had not been verified.

The investigation also "identified 298 individuals by name" who were suspected of involvement in the violations, Farhan continued, describing the figure as provisional.

Authorities have accused gunmen loyal to Assad of instigating the violence, launching deadly attacks that killed dozens of security personnel.

The committee said 238 members of the army and security forces were killed in the attacks in the provinces of Tartus, Latakia and Hama.

Damascus dispatched around 200,000 military reinforcements to the area, according to Farhan.

He said the committee had identified people "linked to certain military groups and factions" among those involved in the violence, adding it believed they "violated military orders and are suspected of committing violations against civilians".

Committee chairman Jumaa al-Anzi said authorities had been consulted to identify individuals who appeared in videos on social media documenting violations, and that some of them were included among the suspects.

The body said two lists of people "suspected of involvement in attacks or violations" had been referred to the judiciary.

The presidency had said new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa had received the committee's report on July 13, the same day the sectarian violence targeted the Druze-majority province of Sweida, eventually killing more than 1,200 people, according to the Observatory.

The committee said it based its report on more than 30 on-site visits, meetings with dozens of people in the towns and villages where violations occurred, and testimonies from hundreds of witnesses and victims. It also heard from government officials.

Human rights groups and international organisations have said entire families were killed, including women, children, and the elderly.

Gunmen stormed homes and asked residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before killing or sparing them, they said.

Amnesty International had urged Syria to publish the full results of the investigation and ensure those responsible were held accountable.

The committee was initially supposed to release its findings within a month but later delayed it until mid-July.