GENEVA: War crimes were likely committed by both interim government forces and fighters loyal to Syria’s former rulers during sectarian violence in coastal areas, a UN report stated.
The violence, which peaked in March, reportedly killed around 1,400 people, mostly civilians from Alawi communities.
“The scale and brutality of the violence documented in our report is deeply disturbing,“ said Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Chair of the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry.
The UN team documented torture, killings, and inhumane acts related to the treatment of the dead based on over 200 victim and witness interviews.
Investigators also visited mass grave sites as part of their evidence-gathering process.
The coastal region violence marked Syria’s worst bloodshed since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad last year.
In response, Syria’s interim government formed a fact-finding committee to probe the incidents.
No immediate public comment was issued by interim authorities or former Syrian officials, many of whom have fled the country.
A Reuters investigation last month linked nearly 1,500 Alawite deaths to attackers with direct ties to Syria’s new leadership.
New Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa condemned the violence as a threat to national unity and vowed accountability.
The UN report acknowledged interim authorities’ commitment to identifying perpetrators but urged further action given the violence’s severity. – Reuters
