A Syrian military operation against remnants of the former Assad regime has now ended, having sparked some of the worst violence seen in the country in years.
Hundreds of people have been killed in the crackdown and fighting between the security forces and supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad since Thursday.
What began as clashes between armed groups loyal to Assad and forces loyal to the new Syrian regime quickly spiraled into communal killings, with a war monitor saying at least 779 people had been killed.
Here’s what we know about the bloodshed.
Why has sectarian violence flared up again?
The violence erupted in the heartland of former ruler Assad, where the Alawite leader drew most of his support.
Alawites are a minority Shiite Muslim sect living predominantly in Sunni-majority Syria. The Assad family, members of the sect, ruled Syria for over half a century until Bashar was ousted in December by Sunni Islamist militants who sought to reshape the country’s political and sectarian order.
Throughout Assad’s rule, the Alawite sect became increasingly linked, in the eyes of his opponents, to the atrocities committed by his regime during the Syrian civil war.
Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who once led the al Qaeda-linked group that toppled Assad late last year, has previously promised political equality and representation to the various sects of Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious populations.
The fragility of the new Syria was nonetheless laid bare by the events of recent days. On Thursday, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported deadly clashes erupting between Syrian government forces and pro-Assad groups in the coastal Latakia province.
SANA reported that “remnants of Assad militia groups” attacked government checkpoints and patrols, killing and wounding many.
The UK-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) said on Monday that among the 779 killed, “non-state armed groups” loyal to Assad were responsible for the deaths of 383 people, including 172 members of state security forces and 211 civilians. Government forces and affiliated groups were responsible for the deaths of at least 396 people, including “civilians and disarmed militants,” according to SNHR.
How has the new Syrian regime reacted?
Sharaa has blamed the violence on the remains of Assad’s forces, claiming they were trying to incite sectarian strife.
On Sunday, he said his government would hold accountable anyone involved in the deaths of civilians during the heavy fighting. Sharaa had previously described the violence as “expected challenges.”
Syria’s interim government vowed to form an independent committee to “investigate and ascertain the facts,” and submit a report to the presidency within 30 days.
The committee will “uncover the reasons, circumstances, and conditions that led to these events,” a statement by the Syrian interim presidency said, adding that it will “investigate the violations committed against civilians and identify those responsible.”
It will also “investigate attacks on public institutions, security forces and the military, and determine accountability.” Those found guilty will be referred to the judiciary, it added.
In an interview with Reuters Monday, Sharaa said that “Syria is a state of law.”
“The law will take its course on all,” he told Reuters from Damascus.
Sharaa blamed the outbreak of violence on a former military unit loyal to Assad’s brother and an unspecified foreign power, according to the agency. The president also said that, in response, “many parties entered the Syrian coast and many violations occurred,” Reuters reported.
“It became an opportunity for revenge,” Sharaa added.
How has the international community reacted?
The killings in Syria threaten to undermine Sharaa’s efforts to end the country’s isolation and rebuild diplomatic ties that could ease the heavy sanctions imposed since Assad’s rule.
The former jihadist-turned-president has repeatedly told Western media that he envisions an inclusive Syria and has vowed to prevent revenge killings and sectarian violence.
Several countries have condemned the violence in the strongest terms.
The United States on Sunday denounced what it said were “radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US stands with religious and ethnic minorities in Syria, and that “interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres” accountable.
The European Union, which last month removed some restrictions on Syria in order to “support an inclusive political transition,” also condemned the recent violence, saying “civilians have to be protected in all circumstances in full respect of international humanitarian law.”
The bloc also called “on all external actors to fully respect the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria.”
What role have outsiders played in this?
Following Syria’s civil war over a decade ago, regional actors and world powers – including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the US, Russia and Turkey – vied for influence, escalating the conflict into what some observers described as a “proxy war.” ISIS was also able to gain a foothold in the country before suffering significant blows.
Syria has been home to a number of foreign fighters over the years. It is unclear how many remain.
Several videos appeared on social media showing convoys of armed men in vehicles in the run-up to the violence, with some speaking in foreign Arabic dialects.
As the latest violence erupted, several foreign powers also traded blame.
Turkey, which made significant gains in Syria after Assad was toppled, had previously warned Iran against attempts to destabilize Syria in comments that later triggered Tehran to summon Turkey’s ambassador, Reuters reported, citing state TV.
Speaking at a news conference Sunday in Amman, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there has been an “effort to derail the Syrian government’s weeks-long policy of not reacting to provocations,” according to the state news agency Anadolu.
“We are, of course, committed to fully supporting the newly formed government in Syria and backing all of its efforts to stabilize the country,” he said.
What happens next?
The effects of the recent bloodshed are unlikely to disappear, experts said, especially as triggers of this violence are deeply rooted in Syria’s past.
Unless core issues are addressed by the government – including inclusivity, political participation and unequal living conditions throughout the country – Syria may not recover from its ongoing sectarian strife, according to analysts.
Syria’s future in relation to Western countries may also rest on the new government’s ability to address recent events and guarantee accountability, other experts said.
In his interview with Reuters, Sharaa recognized the violence of the past days “will impact” his attempt to bring Syria together, but vowed to “rectify the situation as much as we can.”
Haid Haid, a Syrian columnist and a consulting fellow with the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chatham House think tank in London, said that many of Syria’s next steps will depend on whether Sharaa holds all those involved in the violence accountable.
“Dealing with the root causes of the problem, at least some of them, will be crucial,” Haid said, including making sure that the Alawite community does not feel marginalized.
How Western countries perceive Syria’s transitional period after the violence is yet to be seen. Lister said that while recent events may exacerbate US skepticism on Syria’s new government, European countries are keen to see the interim government stabilize the country.
“From the Europeans, we’re hearing a very different language, obviously criticism and concern about civilian killings, but also doubling down on the idea that the interim government needs to stabilize,” he said.
Regional players have also shown support for the lifting of sanctions despite the violence. On Sunday, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon held a meeting with Syrian officials in Amman, where they called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria “to enhance its capabilities for rebuilding Syria and meeting the needs of the Syrian people,” according to a joint statement.
Haid added that to move forward, Syria must not isolate “the security incidents from the wider fragile and worsening context.”
“Addressing what’s happening through security measures alone will not be enough, even if they are able to stop those attacks in the near future,” he said. “The root causes will remain there.”
