DAMASCUS, March 11 (Xinhua) -- A Syrian investigative panel pledged on Tuesday to hold those responsible for recent violence in the country's coastal region accountable, as a rights group reported at least 1,500 people killed in days of clashes involving security forces, militants, and sectarian factions.

Yasser Al-Farhan, spokesman for the National Independent Committee for Investigation and Fact-Finding, said the panel would operate with "neutrality and transparency" under national and international legal frameworks.

The committee, established by decree from interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and led by five judges, will examine civilian casualties, attacks on security forces, and property destruction during the violence.

"No individual or group is above the law," Al-Farhan told reporters in Damascus, adding that the panel would rely on video evidence, witness testimonies, and forensic analysis to present findings within 30 days.

While open to international technical support, he said the investigation would prioritize domestic resources.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier reported that nearly 1,500 people, including more than 1,000 civilians, had been killed in Latakia and Tartous, where most of the country's Alawite minorities live. It said most civilian deaths resulted from security forces' operations and attacks by allied factions.

Tensions flared last week after an ambush on a security patrol, which interim authorities blamed on Alawite militants. Retaliatory attacks by gunmen aligned with the interim government targeted Alawite communities, a minority sect that dominated Syria's power structures under former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria's interim Defense Ministry said on Monday its forces had "neutralized hostile elements" and restored stability following a military operation in Latakia and Tartous.

Al-Sharaa, who led the coalition that toppled Assad in December, had earlier promised an independent inquiry, calling the violence a "dark chapter."

The clashes mark the deadliest unrest since al-Sharaa's interim administration took power, underscoring the fragile security situation in regions historically loyal to Assad. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)