Over 1,000 dead in two days of clashes, violence in Syria: War monitor

CAIRO – 9 March 2025: More than 1,000 individuals have lost their lives in two days of violent clashes involving Syrian security forces and supporters of former President Bashar Assad, along with subsequent acts of revenge, according to Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

This surge in violence marks one of the deadliest periods since the onset of the Syrian war in 2011.

The observatory reported that among the deceased, 745 were civilians, primarily killed in close-range shootings.

Additionally, the fatalities included 125 members of government security forces and 148 militants linked to armed groups supporting former President Bashar Al- Assad.

Assad was ousted from power in December by an Islamist rebel coalition, led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group, whose leader, Ahmed Al Sharaa, has become Syria’s interim president.

The violence erupted on Thursday in Latakia province, representing a significant escalation against the newly established government.

The government has claimed it was responding to assaults from remnants of Assad's forces and attributed the widespread violence to "individual actions."