Alawites are an Arab ethnic and religious group, with distinct cultures, languages and religious beliefs. They live mainly in the Levant region in West Asia.

While Alawites are generally considered an offshoot of Shia Islam, their beliefs and practices are far more complex

Armed Sunni groups, considered loyal to the new regime after Assad’s removal, have begun retaliatory killings against Alawites, deepening Syria’s sectarian divide. This challenges the power of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which played a significant role in removing Assad from power.

Once empowered by the regime, many Alawites now face reprisals from rebel factions and displaced Sunni populations who suffered under Assad's rule.

More than 1,300 dead in a few days - US condemns "Islamist terrorists & foreign jihadists who murder civilians" - Turkey supports the jihadists - Washington & Moscow call for a Security Council meetin

Alawites, a Shia sect, ruled Syria for decades under the Assads. Now, after Bashar al-Assad's fall, they face violence as sectarian tensions escalate in the war-torn country

The killing of at least 745 civilians in massacres targeting the Alawite minority in Syria exposes the criminality of NATO powers that support and legitimize the Islamist HTS regime.

Reports of massacres of civilian s in Syria’s Latakia are a major test for the new government of Syria. Since the fall of the Assad regime, the new authorities have sought to balance the needs of numerous Syrians from different regions and groups.