Sectarian violence in Syria has been less intense than feared since Assad’s ouster
Associated PressDAMASCUS, Syria — The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print During the Assad family’s 50 years of iron-fisted rule, Alawites held many top positions in the military and in the intelligence and security services, which ran prisons where thousands of people accused of anti-government activities were tortured and killed, according to human rights groups. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last weekend that the U.S. is in contact with HTS and that its “message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.” Since Assad fled the country, at least 72 men and women have been killed in sectarian violence, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor based in Britain. Members from Bashar Assad’s Syrian army period line up to register with Syrian rebels as part of a “identification and reconciliation process” at a army compound in Latakia, Syria, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Gunmen stormed the village of Bahra in Hama province on Dec. 9, and killed a dozen Alawites over three days — eight of whom were from the same family, according to a resident of the village who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.