Militants from Syria's ruling Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, have reportedly engaged in an operation to eliminate loyalists of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
But, during this action that has plunged the country back into crisis, they are seen "pleasing" themselves with beating, torturing, and executing even helpless civilians in Alawite communities along the country's western coast.
More than 1,000 people are said to have been massacred as HTS militants filmed themselves beating unarmed civilians.
The HTS government in Damascus claims that the action on Syria's western coast around Latakia was launched to defeat pro-Assad loyalist groups that had attacked security checkpoints on March 6.
But, the Daily Mail reports that evidence, much of it provided by HTS militants themselves, shows that most of the violence was carried out against unarmed civilians.
When HTS seized power in Syria in a coup that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December, leader Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed that Syria's various religious and ethnic minorities would be safe from persecution and violence.
HTS, a Sunni Islamist group, was first formed in 2012 under the name Jabhat al-Nusra and was the Syrian wing of the Islamic State of Iraq – then an offshoot of Al-Qaeda.
In 2017, the group underwent a rebranding, cutting ties with Al-Qaeda and reverting its name to HTS after leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attempted to moderate his stance to gain legitimacy.
Since seizing power in December 2024, HTS has ruled from Damascus, consolidating their control over much of western and central Syria. (A2 Televizion)
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