Syria Descends into Chaos: Al Qaeda-Linked Forces Accused of Massacres as Gabbard’s Warning Materializes
The specter of a terrorist takeover in Syria, once a chilling warning from former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, appears to be materializing with alarming speed and brutality. Reports emerging from the war-torn nation detail horrific massacres targeting the Alawite minority and the dwindling Christian community, allegedly perpetrated by al Qaeda-linked terror forces aligned with the country’s interim president, a figure with a disturbing past rooted in al Qaeda itself.
The situation on the ground is deteriorating rapidly. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 340 civilians, predominantly from the Alawite minority, have been killed in the past two days alone by Syrian security forces and affiliated gunmen. These reports paint a grim picture of escalating sectarian violence and a breakdown of law and order.
Gabbard, during her Senate confirmation hearing, had vehemently expressed her concerns about the trajectory of the Syrian conflict. "I have no love for Assad or any dictator," she stated, "I just hate al-Qaeda. I hate that our leaders cozy up to Islamist extremists, calling them ‘rebels,’ as Jake Sullivan said to Hillary Clinton, ‘al Qaeda is on our side in Syria.’" Her words now resonate with an unsettling accuracy as Syria falls under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda offshoot led by an Islamist Jihadist with a history of celebrating anti-American violence and involvement in the deaths of American soldiers.
Accounts from the ground paint a terrifying picture. An Alawite woman from the Al-Ghab plain, a region with a majority Alawite population, shared her harrowing experience with Fox News Digital, speaking under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. She described the terrifying pronouncements of the attacking forces, "Alawites are pigs, and they have to execute all of them and the small children before the elderly people." She recounted how two militias stormed her house, searching for weapons and robbing her and her neighbors.
Further adding to the horror, the woman confirmed reports of the murder of Shaaban Mansour, a prominent 86-year-old Alawite cleric, and his son Hussein Shaaban. These reports, echoed by Reuters, stated that the Mansours were killed in the village of Sahlab, with residents attributing the killings to fighters aligned with Damascus.
The violence is not limited to the Alawite community. A sizable Christian population in the area is also reportedly under attack. Greco-Levantines Worldwide media reported the killing of a young family, including their infant child, and the execution of a father and son, Tony and Fadi Petrus, by Islamist forces.
The Alawite witness described the horrifying scenes unfolding in other Alawite towns, "Nahr al-Bared and Deir Shamil—the Islamist militias are entering houses and killing people and stealing everything. They are covering their faces. I feel there is no safety. There is no homeland. There is nowhere to escape to, and no one to defend us. I feel fear and horrifying feelings." She identified the perpetrators as members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and affiliated groups, identifying them as Syrian Arabs based on their spoken Arabic.
This descent into chaos comes after Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S.-designated Sunni terrorist organization, toppled former Syrian President Bashar Assad in December. Assad, a member of the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, had ruled the country for decades.
The Alawite source, desperate for intervention, pleaded for support from the U.S., emphasizing the existential threat facing her community: "They want to kill all of us. They don’t want us in Syria. We have to flee Syria. They are seeking revenge from the former regime. I am asking for protection and to live in dignity, because we can be killed at any moment."
Another Alawite source living in Europe, maintaining constant contact with her community in Syria, claimed that over 4,000 people had been killed in the coastal region. She claimed to possess documented lists of victims, evidence of the mass murder. Her group stated on Telegram that al-Sharaa’s "fighters have unleashed a wave of terror against civilians in Syria’s coastal cities. Reports from Alawite community sources indicate hundreds of casualties, with Christians also among the victims."
In his first comments on the violence, interim President al-Sharaa declared that government forces would pursue "remnants" of the ousted Bashar Assad government. He promised to bring them to a "fair court" and pledged to "restrict weapons to the state." However, critics remain skeptical, questioning the sincerity of a former al Qaeda terrorist who now attempts to present himself as a legitimate leader.
The international community’s response to the situation has been criticized as inadequate. Just days before the massacres, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres met with Sharaa in Cairo to discuss the future of Syria. Despite the disturbing reports of violence, an official statement from the U.N. chief is yet to emerge. However, his special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed his "deep concern" over the killings.
The Alawite Islamic Council has blamed the violence on the government, alleging that fighters were sent to the coast under the pretext of combating regime remnants, with the true intention of terrorizing and killing Syrians. They have called for the region to be placed under U.N. protection.
Syrian authorities, predictably, have offered a different narrative, claiming that the violence began when remnants loyal to Assad launched a deadly and well-planned attack on their forces.
The violence has severely undermined Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate power, secure the lifting of U.S. sanctions, and address broader security challenges. Israel has stated its intention to prevent Damascus from deploying forces in the southwest.
Moussa al-Omar, a Syrian media figure close to the new leadership, claimed that tens of thousands of fighters had been deployed to the coast and that order had been largely restored. However, Alawite activists maintain that their community has been subjected to violence and attacks since Assad’s overthrow.
Saudi Arabia condemned "crimes being undertaken by outlaw groups" in Syria and their targeting of security forces. Turkey, a close ally of the new Syrian government, expressed support for Damascus.
Israel, however, has taken a more assertive stance. Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned Syria’s Islamist rulers for their campaign against the Alawite population. He accused al-Sharaa of shedding his moderate facade and revealing his true nature as a "jihadist terrorist of the al-Qaeda school."
Katz reiterated Israel’s commitment to defending itself against any threat from Syria, maintaining security zones and protecting the Druze population. He warned that any harm to the Druze would face a swift response.
The Syrian Alawite source in Europe expressed hope that Israel would extend protection to the Alawites, similar to the offer of aid to the Syrian Druze population, who are also being targeted by the Islamist government.
The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, with the Alawite and Christian communities facing imminent danger. The international community’s response, or lack thereof, raises serious questions about its ability to protect vulnerable populations in conflict zones. The echoes of Tulsi Gabbard’s warning serve as a chilling reminder of the potential consequences of aligning with extremist groups and the devastating human cost of unchecked sectarian violence. The future of Syria, and the fate of its minority populations, hangs precariously in the balance.
