More than 1,500 people killed in explosion of violence in Syria

Recent days have seen a wave of violence in Syria, killing hundreds and leaving people fearful for the future. Please pray.

Christians in Syria are calling for prayer after more than 1,500 people, the majority civilians, were killed in a series of attacks in Syria.

The violence broke out on Thursday (6 March) in the Alawite-majority areas of western Syria when supporters of former president, Bashar al-Assad, took up arms and attacked security forces of the new regime. Assad – who was overthrown last year – belongs to the Alawites, a branch of Shia Islam that is a minority in Syria. The area targeted was a stronghold of the Assad regime.

In an attempt to end the violence, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s new leader, sent reinforcements to the area. Hostilities escalated instead. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, more than 1,200 civilians have been killed, in addition to hundreds of members of the Syrian security forces and pro-Assad fighters. In cities like Latakia and Tartous, many shops and almost all restaurants are closed.

Contrary to reports circulated on social media, there is no evidence that Christians have been targeted for their faith in the attacks. Most of the civilians killed are believed to have been Shia Muslim Alawites.

Four Christians in the region have also died, including a father and son who are believed to have been killed on Thursday by pro-Assad fighters. On Friday, another Christian died in his home after he was hit by a bullet that appears to have gone astray in the fighting between the two sides.

Church patriarchs make joint statement

The recent events have reminded many traumatised Syrians of the horrifying times when so-called Islamic State (IS) invaded the country more than ten years ago. “All Christians I know now want to leave the country,” says a source in western Syria. One Christian from the area says that she is afraid that a time of revenge and terror might start.

“In recent days, Syria has witnessed a dangerous escalation of violence, brutality and killings, resulting in attacks on innocent civilians, including women and children,” said the three patriarchs of the biggest churches in Syria in a joint statement. “Homes have been violated, their sanctity disregarded and properties looted – scenes that starkly reflect the immense suffering endured by the Syrian people.

“The Christian churches, while strongly condemning any act that threatens civil peace, denounce and condemn the massacres targeting innocent civilians, and call for an immediate end to these horrific acts, which stand in stark opposition to all human and moral values.”

The church leaders asked for ‘creation of conditions conducive to achieving national reconciliation among the Syrian people’. They also called for a ‘state that respects all its citizens’ based on ‘equal citizenship and genuine partnership, free from the logic of vengeance and exclusion’. They stressed that they stand for ‘the unity of Syrian territory and reject any attempts to divide it’.

Please pray following setback

Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, released a statement calling for ‘prompt, transparent and impartial investigations into all the killings and other violations, and those responsible must be held to account, in line with international law norms and standards’. He added, “Groups terrorising civilians must also be held accountable.”

The overthrow of Assad in November 2024 and the noises made by Syria’s new leaders had brought uncertainty but cautious optimism to many Christians in Syria. Recent events, however, are an enormous setback, resurfacing fears and quashing hope for many of our brothers and sisters who have already suffered so much. Please continue to pray.