Relatives of coastal victims recount horrific details of crimes committed against them

In a rare and painful testimony, a resident of the Latakia countryside, whose full name is withheld for security reasons, revealed horrific scenes he witnessed during an attack launched by Turkish-backed "Amshat" mercenaries on a village in the Qardaha area of Latakia city on March 7.

The witness, a man in his fifties, said he was in his home with two of his sons, his engineer nephew, a neighbor's son, and a young man who had sought refuge with them a few days earlier. He did not know that the young man was Sunni, as the family, he explained, "avoids asking sectarian questions that don't align with our way of thinking."

the Beginning of the Massacre

At 10:30 a.m., the sound of heavy gunfire echoed around the house. Armed men shouted, ordering those inside to come down immediately. When they opened the door, they were surprised by armed men shouting sectarian insults at them. One of them asked, "What are you?" referring to their sect. They replied, "Alawite," and a series of crimes began, culminating in direct field executions.

"They shot my sons in front of me."

The family and those with them were taken to a neighbor's house, then to another house. There, according to the witness, his two sons, his nephew, the neighbor's son, and the Sunni man who had sought refuge with them were shot directly. It later emerged, through communication from his father, that he was a Sunni and had requested to be buried alongside the witness's sons who had died, having been unable to reach the cemetery due to the security situation.

They prevented the burial of the victims and left the bodies to rot.

The families of the victims were not allowed to collect their children's bodies for several days, which prompted the witness, he says, to "steal the bodies under the cover of night" so he could bury them. He adds, "I buried my children and those who were with us three days later, secretly. They looked at us like we were heretics, infidels, and pigs."

Attempted Slaughter and Physical Abuse

The tragedy did not stop at the mass execution. The witness recounts how, after the massacre, he was taken to one of the militants' headquarters, which had converted a gas station known as "KHB" into a detention and interrogation center. There, he was forced to look at the bodies of his children while they said to him, "Look at them, you pig. God took them." They then beat him in the chest, causing bruises that are still visible today.

Religious Arguments and Sectarian Incitement

In detention, he engaged in a religious debate with someone he described as "a young sheikh in his thirties who has no connection to religion," before being released later with the words, "God be with you, Hajji." However, he did not surrender after that. His home was visited by a succession of armed groups, including the "Amshat" mercenary group, which the witness accused of committing crimes against the villagers. He says that his discussions with them about religion and sectarian differences were met with insults and beatings, especially when he affirmed his adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad and his loyalty to the prophet's family.

Another Crime: The Cold-Blooded Killing of the Wounded

Among the scenes the witness described as "beyond description in cruelty" was what happened to his nephew. He did not die immediately after being shot, but was left to bleed until another member of the "Amshat" mercenary group returned and asked him, "What's wrong, you pig? Aren't you dead yet?" before killing him with another bullet.

Stealing Property and Turning the Victim into a Defendant

The "Amshat" mercenaries looted the witness's car, his identification documents, and the sums of money he had in his possession. When he later attempted to file a report about the car theft, he was surprised to find himself treated as a suspect, not a victim. This prompted him to ask, "What religion are they talking about? Islam is a religion of morality and mercy... For what sin are people being killed?"

Bodies in the Streets

According to the witness, his village wasn't the only one targeted. Dozens of civilians in the area were massacred, and their bodies were left in the streets and inside homes for days, without their families being allowed to bury them or even approach them.

The Latakia countryside in particular, and the Syrian coastal region in general, have witnessed complex clashes over the past month, particularly in areas close to the mountains and the borders between Alawite-majority areas.

Mercenaries linked to armed Turkey have committed serious crimes against civilians. These crimes, despite their horrific nature, remain absent from many human rights forums, either due to political complexities or the limited documentation and firsthand testimony given the extent of the violence the region has experienced.

The footage shown has been edited and the audio has been blurred for security reasons.

T/S

ANHA