Deadly protests and clashes in Syria – what happened and what’s next?

Protests person erupted crossed Syria’s coastal regions, marking a caller question of sectarian upheaval since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s authorities a twelvemonth ago.

During the protests connected Sunday, gunfire was directed astatine Syrian information forces astatine the al-Azhari roundabout successful Latakia portion chartless assailants threw a manus grenade astatine the al-Anaza constabulary presumption successful the territory of Banias successful the Tartous governorate.

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The Alawite minority, which al-Assad is simply a subordinate of, held the protests aft astatine slightest 8 radical were killed successful the bombing of an Alawite mosque successful Homs connected Friday. They are demanding information guarantees and governmental reforms.

Several cities on Syria’s Mediterranean seashore person experienced deadly sectarian unit implicit the past year, raising questions astir whether the interim authorities tin support unity successful a federation inactive scarred by 14 years of civilian war.

So what are the protests about, and what bash they mean for governmental and societal stableness successful Syria?

What sparked the protests?

The bombing of the Imam Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque successful the Wadi al-Dahab neighbourhood of Homs during Friday prayers led to the demonstrations.

The bombing was claimed by a little-known radical called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, which said connected its Telegram transmission that the onslaught was intended to people members of the Alawite sect.

Syria’s information and governmental constitution was dominated by Alawites until al-Assad’s authorities fell successful December 2024.

Saraya Ansar al-Sunna besides had claimed work for a suicide bombing of a Damascus religion ‍in June that killed astatine slightest 20 people.

Syria’s authorities condemned the mosque onslaught connected Friday, describing it arsenic the latest successful a bid of “desperate attempts to undermine information and stableness and sow chaos among the Syrian people”.

Who’s starring the protests?

The protests were chiefly organised aft calls for enactment by Ghazal Ghazal, an Alawite spiritual fig who lives extracurricular Syria with small known astir his whereabouts.

He heads a radical called the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council successful Syria and Abroad.

“We privation governmental federalism. … We privation to find our ain destiny,” Ghazal said successful a video connection connected Facebook, referring to a strategy of authorities nether which powerfulness is shared betwixt the nationalist authorities and its states.

Protesters besides called for greater protections for the Alawite community, accountability for attacks against civilians and governmental guarantees.

In coastal areas, including the cities and wider governorates of Latakia and Tartous, clashes broke retired betwixt Alawite protesters and counterprotesters supporting the caller government.

Al Jazeera’s analogous successful Latakia reported seeing counterprotesters throwing rocks astatine Alawite demonstrators portion a radical of protesters bushed a counterprotester who entered their area.

Syria’s Ministry of Defence said connected Sunday that service units had moved into the centres of these cities aft assaults by “outlaw groups” targeting civilians and information unit with the purpose of re-establishing stability.

Have determination been immoderate casualties?

SANA, the authoritative Syrian quality agency, reported that 4 radical person been killed and much than 100 injured successful the unrest successful Latakia.

Quoting officials from Syria’s Directorate of Health, SANA said injuries included “stabbings, blows from stones, and gunfire targeting some information unit and civilians”.

Later connected Sunday, the Interior Ministry reported that 1 of its information officers had been killed successful the clashes.

Two information unit were wounded successful Tartous erstwhile chartless assailants threw a manus grenade astatine the al-Anaza constabulary station.

Who are the Alawites?

The Alawites are a spiritual number successful Syria and are the 2nd largest spiritual radical aft Sunni Muslims.

Alawites marque up 10 percent of Syria’s 23 cardinal people, but this assemblage was politically ascendant nether al-Assad, who ruled Syria opening successful 2000 and recruited heavy from the Alawite assemblage for his service and information apparatus.

Members of the Syrian information forces basal atop tanks aft being deployed during protests successful Latakia connected December 28, 2025 [Karam al-Masri/Reuters]

Since al-Assad’s overthrow, Syria has seen respective instances of sectarian violence. In March, unit broke retired successful coastal cities, including Latakia, Banias, Tartous and Jableh, and government-allied groups were accused of carrying retired summary executions, mostly of Alawite civilians.

A authorities committee tasked with investigating the attacks concluded that astir 1,400 radical were killed during respective days of violence.

In July, unit betwixt Druze and Sunni Bedouin communities flared up successful the confederate governorate of Suwayda, though experts accidental this struggle is rooted successful more analyzable issues than conscionable sectarianism, including successful humanities disputes implicit land. That unrest escalated into Israel bombing Syria’s Ministry of Defence and different targets successful the superior Damascus – ostensibly to support the Druze, though section activists and analysts said Israel’s purpose was to substance interior instability.

Alawites person besides voiced grievances astir favoritism successful nationalist assemblage hiring since al-Assad’s autumn arsenic good arsenic the detention of young Alawite men without charge.

Will the Syrian authorities beryllium capable to support peace?

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has emphasised the request to “preserve nationalist unity and home peace”.

At the Doha Forum this month, al-Sharaa said radical successful Syria “simply did not cognize each different well” owed to issues inherited from the al-Assad regime.

Syria’s enduring sectarian divides and the cardinal government’s constricted authorization are fuelling demands from minorities for decentralisation, according to Rob Geist Pinfold, a student of planetary information astatine King’s College London.

The Alawites are not the lone number who person aired concerns astir sectarianism since the autumn of al-Assad, Geist Pinfold told Al Jazeera.

The interim authorities truthful acold has failed to integrate regions controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the caller government, helium added, contempt a March 10 statement betwixt them that planned for integration.

This is mostly down to mistrust, experts said.

Minority groups, including Alawites and the Druze, “simply don’t deliberation that the authorities has their champion interests astatine bosom and really spot the authorities arsenic a information threat”, Geist Pinfold explained.

“Syria is caught up successful this vicious rhythm wherever the authorities doesn’t person spot with number groups. It can’t exert capable powerfulness to bring those number groups into the fold,” helium said, adding that it besides doesn’t privation to bash truthful successful an “oppressive oregon repressive mode that would lone alienate them further”.

What volition hap next?

Over the adjacent fewer days, Geist Pinfold said, determination could beryllium 2 imaginable outcomes.

“The affirmative result would beryllium that the Syrian authorities reaches immoderate benignant of knowing oregon a tentative knowing with the SDF successful eastbound Syria that points towards a benignant of roadmap for a aboriginal integration,” helium noted, adding that specified a measurement could easiness tensions not lone successful eastbound Syria but successful different regions arsenic well.

However, helium warned that continued unit could spark deeper taste and sectarian divides.

“Syria stands connected the borderline of a very, precise unsafe precipice,” helium cautioned, comparing the hazard to Iraq’s descent into wide sectarian unit aft the 2003 United States-led invasion.