'Dragged out, shot at point-blank range': How Syria's rebel regime fuelled fresh bloodshed

Syria has fallen into renewed bloodshed after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December, with over 1,000 people killed in just two days as sectarian violence grips the country,
Once hailed as "liberators", the victorious rebels-led by former Al-Qaeda leader Ahmad al-Sharaa— are now accused of carrying out brutal revenge attacks, particularly targeting the

Alawite community

, which had formed the backbone of Assad's regime.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around 830 Alawites were massacred over the weekend, marking one of the deadliest episodes in Syria's 14-year conflict.
According to Daily Mail, fighting has also erupted between Assad loyalists and Syria’s new security forces, bringing the overall death toll to at least 1,311. Shocking footage circulating online shows uniformed militants savagely beating Alawite civilians, calling them "haywan" (animals), and forcing them to crawl on the ground. Others were dragged from their homes and executed at point-blank range.

Who are the Alawites?

The Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam, played a central role in Assad’s power structure, benefiting from political and military influence for over five decades. With Assad’s ousting, they have become vulnerable to retribution. Islamist factions within Syria’s new leadership view them as remnants of a regime they fought to dismantle, further inflaming the sectarian divide.

A former jihadist in power

Syria’s new leader,

Ahmad al-Sharaa

, formerly known as

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani

, once led the extremist group

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

(HTS), which emerged from Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate.
In late 2024, al-Jolani led around 1,000 fighters in a swift advance from Idlib to Damascus.
After Assad’s sudden fall, he quickly seized control of Damascus, formed a government, and shed his militant past—so much so that the United States removed his name from its terrorist list and also dropped $10million price on his head
But the scars of extremism remain visible. Many of the fighters who helped al-Sharaa overthrow Assad have now been integrated into the new Syrian armed forces.
Assad's once-ubiquitous image has vanished from Damascus, erased from billboards and streets. Yet, his legacy lingers in a city hollowed out by autocracy.

In Damascus' Umayyad Square, soldiers patrolling the streets wear insignias linked to jihadist groups. Some carry patches featuring the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith, while others still fly the banners of HTS and its predecessor, Jabhat al-Nusra.
A Syrian political analyst, Samir Dahi, warned of the looming dangers to Daily Mail: "In Damascus, things seem normal, but outside the city, it's terrifying. Many soldiers at checkpoints don't even fly the new Syrian flag; they carry Nusra flags. Some openly refer to Alawites as pigs."

Sectarian tensions and Kurdish fears

Beyond Damascus, the situation remains perilous. Entire Alawite villages have been devastated, fuelling fears of a broader sectarian bloodbath.

Meanwhile, Syria's Kurdish minority—who control the country’s oil-rich northeast—are increasingly anxious. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long been hostile toward Kurdish groups, and HTS has a brutal history of persecuting them.
The Kurds also oversee the infamous Al-Hawl refugee camp, home to around 50,000 people, including jihadists and their families. Should Kurdish forces lose control, the camp could become a launchpad for a new wave of extremist violence.
Despite al-Sharaa’s public assurances of inclusivity, many fear that his rule will only deepen Syria’s cycle of revenge and instability. With sectarian killings mounting and former jihadists holding key positions of power, the question now is whether Syria's new regime will bring peace—or unleash a fresh era of terror.