Syria's coastal killings

A Reuters investigation pieces together the March 7-9 massacres of Syrian Alawites.

Global news you can trust. Download the Reuters App. One Essential Read One Essential Read Recommended by Kate Turton, Newsletter Editor Syrian forces massacred 1,500 Alawites. The chain of command led to Damascus.   Alawite families and community leaders assembled lists of those killed. Photo illustration by Catherine Tai. A Reuters investigation found 40 distinct sites of killings, looting and arson during three days of sectarian massacres following an Assad loyalist insurgency. The chain of command led from the attackers directly to men serving alongside Syria's new leaders in Damascus. The killings now threaten Syria's fragile transition. Read our special report Read more How Syrian government forces and factions are linked to the mass killings of Alawites How Reuters counted the dead in the March killings of Syrian Alawites Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website Reuters One Essential Read is sent three days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you've engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions © 2025 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036