Over 1,000 dead in 2 days of clashes, revenge killings in Syria

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that among the dead were 745 civilians, mostly killed at close range, along with 125 government security personnel and 148 militants linked to Assad. More than 1,000 people have died in two days of violence in Syria, according to a war monitoring group, as reported by Associated Press (AP). Clashes between government forces and supporters of former President Bashar Assad, followed by revenge killings, have led to one of the deadliest incidents in the country’s 14-year conflict. Deadly clashes and retaliation The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that among the dead were 745 civilians, mostly killed at close range, along with 125 government security personnel and 148 militants linked to Assad. Large parts of Latakia province were left without electricity and drinking water. Fighting broke out on Thursday as security forces attempted to detain a wanted individual near Jableh but were ambushed by Assad loyalists, according to the Observatory, reported AP. Revenge attacks escalated on Friday, with Sunni Muslim gunmen, loyal to the government, targeting Alawites, Assad’s minority sect. The violence is a major challenge for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group that helped overthrow Assad.