Latakia, Syria — A man accused of taking part in one of the worst waves of sectarian killings in Syria’s recent history has claimed to the BBC that government security forces oversaw and advised armed civilians, including himself, during attacks on Alawite communities in early March.
The accused, who identified himself as Abu Khalid, said he travelled as a civilian fighter to the village of Sanobar on March 7 to confront what he described as “former regime insurgents.”
“We were told by the General Security department not to harm civilians—only to shoot if we were shot at,” Abu Khalid said. “They were overseeing everything. They wanted order.”
Yet footage recorded by Abu Khalid himself tells a different story. In one video, he is seen executing a 64-year-old Alawite villager, Mahmoud Yusef Mohammed, at point-blank range outside his home. Abu Khalid insists the man was armed—but the video shows no weapon, and the victim’s family denies he was involved in any fighting.
Military police have denied any coordination with Abu Khalid or similar civilian fighters.
The violence in Sanobar was part of a broader campaign of sectarian brutality that swept through Syria’s coastal region in March. The United Nations says tens of thousands remain displaced, and human rights groups estimate that nearly 900 civilians—mostly Alawites—were killed.
Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam who comprise about 10% of Syria’s population, had long been associated with the country’s former president, Bashar al-Assad. His ousting last year by a Sunni Islamist-led coalition has left many Alawite communities vulnerable and afraid.
On March 6, former regime loyalists launched raids on government security forces, triggering a retaliatory response from the new leadership. That response—meant to target insurgents—rapidly devolved into mass violence against Alawite civilians.
In Sanobar, at least 200 residents were slaughtered over the course of several days. The once-close-knit village now houses mostly women and orphans, its streets silenced by fear and loss.
Mahmoud Yusef Mohammed’s body lay outside his home for three days. His wife and grandchildren, hiding nearby, were too terrified to retrieve it.
“He was a good man,” his daughter told the BBC privately. “A farmer. A father. He didn’t deserve this.”
Although government sources claim the security forces acted to protect villagers, survivor testimony paints a more complicated picture—one of unchecked violence, overlapping militias, and a chaotic chain of command in which accountability remains elusive.
Two months on, Sanobar’s wounds are still raw. Its cemetery has grown larger, but its people remain silent.
