Washington Condemns Massacres in Syria, Demands Accountability

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly condemned what he described as "radical Islamist terrorists" responsible for the recent mass killings of minorities in Syria’s coastal region. He urged the interim administration in Damascus to take immediate action to hold the perpetrators accountable.

U.S. Calls for Justice Amid Widespread Killings

In a statement issued on Sunday, Rubio denounced the attacks that have left hundreds dead, in western Syria, placing blame on "radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadists" for the brutal massacres.

He reaffirmed Washington’s support for Syria’s diverse communities, stating, "The United States stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families."

Rubio emphasized that the interim authorities in Syria "must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria's minority communities accountable," underscoring the necessity of justice for the victims.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Violence Escalates

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that critical infrastructure in the Latakia countryside has collapsed amid the ongoing violence, leaving large swathes of the region without electricity and potable water for the second consecutive day. Communication networks have also been disrupted, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

According to SOHR, the death toll has surpassed 1,018 people, including 745 civilians from the Alawite community who were "executed in cold blood in sectarian massacres" over the past 48 hours. The organization warned that "the killings are ongoing" in rural areas of the coastal region.

Among the dead are 125 members of the General Security and Defense Ministry forces, including at least 93 Syrian personnel, along with 148 armed militants linked to remnants of the previous regime and their loyalists in the coastal region.

Concerns Over Further Atrocities

SOHR Director Rami Abdulrahman noted that some of the perpetrators of the recent killings are of non-Syrian nationalities.

In a prior statement, SOHR accused security forces and affiliated defense units of carrying out "sectarian and regional purges," resulting in the deaths of hundreds, including women and children.

The Observatory warned of rising fear within the Alawite community that additional massacres could occur as security and military forces—backed by what SOHR described as "sectarian armed groups"—continue sweeping operations in the coastal region.

With international calls for accountability growing louder, the situation in western Syria remains precarious, as communities brace for further violence amid an unchecked cycle of retaliation and reprisal.