DAMASCUS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Sunday that it has documented 91 incidents of assassinations and retaliatory crimes by armed groups in Syria since the beginning of 2025, many motivated by political or sectarian hatred.

According to a statement released by the observatory, the wave of violence has reached its worst levels in provinces such as Homs, Hama, and Latakia, home to many Shiite and Alawite minority communities.

The observatory stressed the "urgent need for decisive measures to protect civilians and hold perpetrators accountable."

Rami Abdul Rahman, the observatory's director, attributed much of the turmoil to "undisciplined groups" who joined the new Military Operations Administration after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Abdul Rahman singled out incidents in the village of Fahal in northern Homs, alleging that at least 15 people -- mostly former officers who had undergone so-called reconciliation with the new authorities -- were executed after security forces reportedly stormed the area.

Despite Homs Governor Abed al-Rahman al-Ama and Police Chief Ubada Arnaout have expressed a commitment to curbing the violence, Abdul Rahman suggests that new volunteer militias "carry out retaliatory acts, not true justice."

Sectarian killings have increased since the downfall of Assad's regime in December, amid political upheaval and shifting territorial alliances.

Syrian officials from the new leadership have repeatedly pledged to unify security operations under a single chain of command. However, the situation on the ground remains fragile, largely due to years of prolonged crisis in Syria, where Shiite and Alawite officers and militias were pitted against a Sunni insurgency nationwide. Enditem

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