In recent days, reports have emerged of massive attacks by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militia, which is in control, against the Alawite population on the Syrian Mediterranean coast. Journalist Eva Bartlett, who has worked in the Middle East for many years, shared a series of videos on X, showing the devastating impact of the attacks.
According to the videos, the town of Al-Haffa, which has a part where several Alawite families live, was attacked by HTS. The residents, who had been living peacefully, were killed with no investigation or verification of their alleged crimes. The videos also show the destruction of homes and the brutal killing of young men, who were taken from their homes and executed without a trial.
The international community has been criticized for its inaction in the face of these atrocities. HTS is a designated terrorist organization and the West has been fighting it for years. It is unclear how the international community can allow such attacks to continue.
The Russian military base in Hmeimim, located in the majority Alawite province of Latakia, has been a source of concern for the local population, who have been seeking Russian assistance.
Many reports from the past year have confirmed that HTS fighters are not solely Syrian, but rather include foreign fighters from countries such as Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and others.
In the days leading up to the attacks, reports emerged of a “Council for the Liberation of Syria” allegedly led by a general of the Syrian Arab Army. The authenticity of this group and its military activities is unclear.
The video shows resistance fighters in the Latakia mountains, who claim to be from the “Tiger Forces.” The authenticity of this video is also unverified.
There are additional videos that allegedly show Turkish troops on their way to support HTS in Latakia, but the authenticity of these videos cannot be confirmed.
One certainty is that, as Israel continues to occupy more parts of Syria, the conflict in the country is far from over and the brutal actions of HTS are a continuation of the violence that has plagued the region for years.