Syria's Sharaa struggles to control worst violence in years

Photo : AFP

Syria is facing its worst violence in years. More than 1,000 people have died in two days of heavy fighting. The clashes are between fighters loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad and the new government led by Ahmed Sharaa. Many people fear that the country could face more trouble in the coming days.

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A group that watches the war said that among the dead, 745 were ordinary people, 125 were security officers, and 148 were fighters who support Assad. The head of the group said this was one of the deadliest events since 2013, when a chemical attack killed around 1,400 people in a part of Damascus.

Security officers said that more than 300 of their men had died in battles against former army officers who still support Assad. The fighting started on Thursday and spread quickly to different parts of the country.

Sharaa spoke on television and shared a video message online. He blamed Assad’s supporters and some foreign countries for trying to divide Syria. He said, "We are at a dangerous time. Some people are trying to bring back old troubles and break our country’s unity."

At the same time, a top Kurdish military leader said that Turkish-backed fighters were behind some of the worst attacks. He said that these fighters had killed many ordinary people from the Alawite community, a religious group linked to Assad. Turkey has not responded to these claims.

Around the world, many leaders are worried. Diplomats said that two powerful countries have asked for a private meeting at the United Nations to discuss the growing violence in Syria.

To deal with the crisis, President Sharaa’s office said it is forming a special team to look into the killings from both sides. People have been sharing shocking videos of executions, but these videos have not been checked for truth. Sharaa promised that those responsible for the deaths would be punished. He said, "No one will be above the law."

By Sunday, the fighting had slowed down in some places, especially near Latakia, Jablah, and Baniyas. However, security forces are still searching the mountains, where about 5,000 Assad supporters are believed to be hiding. A mass grave was found near Qardaha, Assad’s hometown, filled with bodies of security officers who were recently killed.

Assad ran away to another country last year after losing power. Many of his close friends and followers stayed behind. His fall came after a long and terrible war where different countries supported different sides. Some helped the rebels, while others stood by Assad. This war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced millions to leave their homes.

After Assad was removed, there was peace for some time. But recently, violence has started again. The new government is trying to stop an uprising from Alawite fighters, but this has led to revenge attacks. The Alawite community was very close to Assad and was linked to many violent acts against Syria’s Sunni majority during the war.

As the situation gets worse, the United Nations and other countries have asked Syria’s new leaders to act quickly and bring justice. But with the country still unstable, it is unclear what will happen next.