The German Foreign Ministry has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in Syria, where more than 200 people have lost their lives in a span of two days due to clashes between government forces and loyalists of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad. The ministry has called on all parties to refrain from escalating the violence and to seek peaceful solutions, national unity, and inclusive political dialogue.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), fighters supporting the new Syrian authorities have launched attacks on villages in the coastal region, a stronghold of Assad’s support. These attacks were in retaliation for prior assaults on government security forces by Assad loyalists.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, during her visit to Damascus in January, offered support to Syria provided the government met certain conditions, including safeguarding minority rights.
Over 200 individuals, including government forces and Assad loyalists, have been killed in violence sparked by multiple attacks and ambushes by Assad’s supporters targeting transitional government security forces along the western coast.
Additionally, the Syrian authorities have not released an official death toll but have confirmed that individuals sought revenge on the coast following attacks on government security personnel. The government has also made progress in regaining control of certain areas where attacks on security forces had occurred.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has called on pro-Assad fighters, particularly those from the Alawite minority, to surrender their arms before it’s too late. He pledged to continue efforts to consolidate weapons in the state’s hands.
The current clashes mark the worst violence since Assad’s government was overthrown in early December by insurgents, including the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The interim government has vowed to reunite Syria after years of civil war.
