Since HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, was brought to power in Syria and seized control of Damascus on December 8, attacks by HTS and affiliated armed groups have continued unabated. While HTS had previously targeted Alevis during the civil war, its rise to power marked a new phase of systematic violence. After assuming control, HTS expanded its attacks to include Druze and other ethnic and religious minorities.

On Saturday, December 27, HTS forces targeted demonstrations calling for a federal and decentralized system of governance, killing at least 10 Alevis and injuring dozens more.

In the year since HTS took control of Damascus, its first major assaults focused on coastal regions where Alevis predominantly live. Alevis, who make up approximately 10 per cent of Syria’s population, are concentrated mainly in Latakia and Tartus, as well as in smaller numbers in Homs, Hama, and Damascus. Attacks that initially began under DAESH-era violence escalated significantly after HTS assumed power. Due to the inability of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to directly intervene in HTS-controlled areas, violations against Alevis have continued despite international condemnation.

Although the agreement known publicly as the “March 10 Agreement” signed between HTS and the SDF, included provisions to halt attacks against Alevis and other communities, HTS has failed to implement these commitments. As the year draws to a close, assaults against Alevis continue at the level of mass atrocities.

INSTITUTIONALIZED ANTI-ALEVI VIOLENCE

Shortly after seizing Damascus on December 8, 2024, HTS launched an assault on Latakia in March, claiming that “former Assad regime soldiers” were present in the area. It quickly became evident that the attacks were directed primarily at the Alevi civilian population. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), more than 500 people were killed during these attacks.

A report published on March 23, 2025, by the Human Rights and Humanitarian Monitoring Committee documented 25 separate massacre attacks against Alevis between March 6 and 9, resulting in the killing of 2 thousand 246 people. Another SOHR report released on March 25 stated that 62 massacre attacks occurred in Latakia, Tartus, Hama, and Homs, leaving at least one thousand 659 people dead.

Following HTS’s declaration that it would intervene amid mounting international pressure, the March 10 Agreement was signed with the SDF. However, after a brief pause, harassment and violence by HTS-affiliated groups resumed, once again escalating to mass killings. Thousands more Alevis lost their lives during this period.

IMPUNITY FUELS FURTHER ATTACKS

HTS’s failure to prosecute any perpetrators of the March massacres, instead absolving those responsible, led to the establishment of HTS checkpoints in Alevi regions in July. These checkpoints became sites of abductions and extrajudicial executions. In November, forces affiliated with the Damascus Transitional Administration carried out new attacks against Alevis in Homs, setting homes on fire and targeting civilians in the streets.

When residents protested these attacks, HTS armed groups intervened violently, resulting in dozens of deaths. Following the protests, armed groups aligned with the former regime issued new calls for massacres in Homs and Hama.

Violence by HTS and its affiliated factions has not been limited to mass killings. Reports from Latakia, Tartus, and other regions indicate a sharp rise in abductions, killings, and the enslavement of women and children. According to a United Nations report published in July, numerous women and children aged between 3 and 40 were abducted in broad daylight. The report noted that families were threatened and that HTS failed to launch any investigations.

The report also documented cases of sexual violence and forced marriages involving abducted women and children. Amnesty International also reported that at least 36 Alevi women and children were abducted between February and June 2025.

HTS and affiliated groups have also targeted Alevi places of worship. Since March 2025, dozens of Alevi shrines have been burned or completely destroyed.