Over 300 dead in fighting in Syria since Thursday

Over 300 dead in fighting in Syria since Thursday

At least 311 people have died in Syria since Thursday in clashes between government security forces and supporters of ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. But the actual death toll could be “significantly higher,” according to a monitoring group.

Deadly outcome of the clashes

According to the British independent monitoring group Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), government forces have killed at least 164 civilians, including seven children and 13 women, since the start of a large-scale security operation in dozens of villages in the rural areas of Latakia, Tartous and Hama. Meanwhile, Assad's loyalist militants killed another 147 people - 26 civilians and 121 security personnel, SNHR director Fadel Abdul Ghani said.

“We expect the death toll to be significantly higher,” Ghani added. CNN cannot independently verify SNHR's figures and has contacted the Syrian government for comment on the death toll.

Horrible escalation of violence

The ongoing clashes represent the worst outbreak of violence since Assad was overthrown in December by Sunni Islamists seeking to reshape the country's political and sectarian order. Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria's interim president, vowed in a televised speech on Friday evening to hold those responsible for the killing of government security forces accountable. But he also called on his security forces to "ensure that there are no excessive or unwarranted responses" after reports emerged of high civilian casualties.

Challenges for the new regime

The Syrian Information Ministry told CNN on Saturday that "Bashar's remains" had also arrested about 300 government officials and that "dozens" more were missing. The recent rise in violence highlights the challenges facing the new regime in Syria, particularly in reassuring disadvantaged groups who are heavily armed. Latakia and Tartous on the Mediterranean coast are regions where support among Syrian Alawites for Assad has been strong. Alawites, who make up about 10% of the population, played a significant role in the Assad regime, and while many of them have laid down their arms since December, many others have not.

International concern about the situation

On Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expressed grave concern over reports of the high number of deaths and injuries in the two provinces. It called on both sides to “treat prisoners humanely and with dignity” and to protect health infrastructure, water and electricity supplies. UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday condemned all violence in Syria and called on parties to protect civilians and end hostilities. He expressed concern about the risk of escalating tensions between communities in Syria at a time when reconciliation and a peaceful political transition should be a priority.

The war in Syria

Syria's civil war began as a peaceful uprising against Assad during the Arab Spring in 2011. According to the United Nations, the conflict cost more than 300,000 lives in the first decade and left the country deeply divided.