Violence erupted in Syria over the past week, with hundreds of civilians killed in coastal areas following attacks on security forces by loyalists of deposed President Bashar al-Assad. The killings, many of which were sectarian and anti-Alawite in nature, took place mainly in the governorates of Latakia, Tartus, and Hama. This explainer covers what’s driving the killings in Syria and who the Alawites are.
