A Syrian government-appointed investigative committee has announced that at least 1,426 civilians and military personnel were killed, and 20 others remain missing, following violent clashes in the country’s coastal region in March 2025.
Speaking at a press conference in Damascus on Tuesday, committee head Jumaa Al-Anzi and spokesperson Yasser Al-Farhan presented the findings of the months-long investigation.
According to the panel, approximately 200,000 armed security forces launched a coordinated operation on the coast, aiming to “reclaim the area from remnants of the former regime.” The coastal region had remained a stronghold of loyalist forces even after the collapse of the Assad regime in late 2024.
Use of sectarian rhetoric
The committee said that the scale and intensity of the assault led to widespread violations.
It added that not all fighters were aligned with the current transitional government, and that unauthorised elements were responsible for acts of killing, looting, and the use of sectarian rhetoric during the clashes.
The report marks the first official toll from the coastal violence, which triggered waves of displacement and raised concerns over renewed instability in post-Assad Syria.
The committee did not name specific groups but said accountability measures would follow.
