‘Deep concern’: Iraqi militia leader Al-Khazali calls for protection of Alawites in Syria

BAGHDAD — Qais Al-Khazali, leader of Iraq’s Shia militia Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, expressed “deep concern” over escalating violence in Syria, particularly in areas controlled by “armed groups known for their history of terrorism,” referring to Syria’s post-Bashar Al-Assad security forces.

“The executions targeting members of the Alawite sect cause deep alarm and require immediate action to protect them,” Al-Khazali said in a statement.  He criticized the international community’s silence, calling it “unacceptable,” and urged both “active and non-active states in the Syrian arena” to intervene.

​In recent days, Syria’s coastal regions, particularly Latakia and Tartus provinces, have experienced growing unrest and violence. Clashes erupted between government security forces and loyalists of former President Bashar Al-Assad.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said Saturday, 340 people, including women and children, were killed in sectarian executions in Syria’s coastal areas and the Latakia mountains. It says security forces, Ministry of Defense personnel, and allied militias carried out what the Observatory described as war crimes and human rights violations, with no legal consequences for those responsible. The killings were described as “collective retribution”.

Statement from Qais Al-Khazali:

We are following with deep concern the escalation of violence in Syria, particularly in areas controlled by armed groups known for their history of terrorism, which are now operating under the guise of security forces. The executions targeting members of the Alawite sect cause deep alarm and require immediate action to protect them.

The silence of the international community in the face of these massacres is unacceptable. Both the “active” and “non-active” states in the Syrian arena must assume their responsibilities and intervene to stop these violations and protect Alawite civilians.

We demand an end to the violence and the pursuit of a comprehensive political solution that guarantees the rights of all Syrians without discrimination.