Bashar al-Assad

Syria establishes national security council

Syria's transitional government announces the formation of a national security council to be led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Syria: "Illegal Revenge" is Not Allowed

"Illegal retaliation" must be avoided. This is the message from the investigative committee set up by Syria's new leadership after the recent days' killing of hundreds of civilians – most of them Alawites and Christians.

Syria: Israeli Attack on Daraa

Syria's President Signs Agreement with Kurds

Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa announces that an agreement has been reached with Kurdish groups in the country to integrate into the central government's rule in Damascus.

Damascus: "Operation" on the coast completed

Syria's Defense Department says that an "operation" on the coast has been completed, that its soldiers have "neutralized" other security forces said to be behind the killing of hundreds of civilians in recent days. The dead are reported to mainly belong to minority groups, Alawites and Christians.

Expert on Syria: A Powder Keg That Has Now Exploded

The killing of civilians from the Alawite minority can be traced back to a "bitter and bloody legacy" from the war in Syria. But also to a security force that is not entirely controlled by the government, says Middle East expert Aron Lund.

Testimonies from Syria: Dead bodies in piles

Testimonies speak of dead bodies in piles and people are said to flee from coastal areas in Syria. Anxiety grows after days of reports of the killing of civilians, primarily from the Syrian Alawite minority. Syria's new leader calls for peace.

Over 1,000 dead in Syria – reports of massacres

At least 745 civilians from the Alawite minority in Syria have been killed by security forces and allies over the past three days, according to the British-based Syrian Human Rights Observatory (SOHR). "This is one of the largest massacres in the Syrian conflict," says SOHR chief Rami Abdulrahman in a statement.