A Syrian government-appointed fact-finding committee has confirmed that 1,426 people were killed in March during attacks on security forces and subsequent mass killings of Alawite civilians, but concluded that no orders for revenge attacks were issued by government commanders.
The findings relate to the worst violence to hit Syria since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad last year, particularly in the coastal region—an area home to many members of the Alawite minority. The committee’s work is seen as a major test for the new Syrian leadership, largely made up of ex-rebel fighters, as it navigates renewed ethnic and sectarian tensions across the country.
“The committee found no evidence that Syrian commanders ordered the violations. On the contrary, orders were given to stop them,” said Jumaa Al-Anzi, head of the committee.
The panel identified 298 suspects allegedly involved in the attacks against Alawites and 265 individuals linked to the initial assault on government forces. Spokesman Yasser Farhan said names have been submitted to courts but not publicly released. He added that 31 civilians suspected of abuses and six “remnants” of the former Assad regime have been arrested.
Despite the findings, the Supreme Alawite Council strongly rejected the committee’s conclusions, calling them “an impudent play” and blaming President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government for the March atrocities. The Council demanded an independent, international investigation under direct UN supervision.
A separate Reuters investigation last month documented 1,479 Alawites killed in 40 distinct incidents of revenge killings and traced links between perpetrators and current officials in the Damascus government.
Violence erupted on March 6 with attacks on government forces that left 238 dead and severely disrupted state operations. In response, Farhan said around 200,000 armed men from across Syria entered the region, triggering what he described as “widespread but not organized” violence including killings, looting, and sectarian attacks.
The committee’s findings come amid rising unrest in the southern province of Sweida, where renewed clashes among government forces, Sunni Bedouin fighters, and Druze militants have left hundreds dead. The government has launched a separate fact-finding body to investigate the Sweida violence.
Rights groups have called for transparency and justice. Diana Semaan, Amnesty International’s Syria researcher, said: “Acknowledging the atrocities against Alawite civilians is an important step. But without proper prosecution, it’s not the justice victims deserve.”
The committee said it had full access and cooperation from government forces and that it’s now up to President Sharaa to decide whether the full report will be made public.
Reuters/s.s