Syria's Deadly Clashes: A New Wave of Sectarian Violence

Over 600 individuals have perished following clashes between Syrian security forces and supporters of former President Bashar Assad, along with consecutive revenge killings targeting Alawite communities. This marks one of the conflict's deadliest episodes since its inception 14 years ago, spotlighting rising sectarian tensions in Syria.

The death toll in Syria has surpassed 600 after two days of intense clashes between security forces and loyalists of the ousted President Bashar Assad, followed by a string of revenge killings. A war monitoring group declared the event one of the deadliest since Syria's conflict began 14 years ago.

On Thursday, fighting erupted in a significant escalation against the new government, mere months after insurgents took control by removing Assad. The government justified their actions as responses to attacks by Assad's remaining forces, attributing the extensive violence to "individual actions."

Friday saw Sunni Muslim gunmen loyal to the government launch revenge attacks against the minority Alawite sect, significant supporters of Assad for decades. Witnesses recounted harrowing scenes of Alawite villagers being shot in streets or outside their homes, forced to hide in mountains, with their properties looted and burned.

(With inputs from agencies.)