Fears mount for Syria’s minorities as video emerges showing rebel fighters executing suspects
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has become Syria’s new strongman, replacing the Alawite regime of Bashar al-Assad. Once a partner of al Qaeda, Jolani now speaks the language of tolerance towards Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities and told his fighters to refrain from extrajudicial violence. Videos emerging on social media, including one apparently showing the execution of four suspected regime collaborators, suggest that not all of his fighters are following his directive.
Issued on: 13/12/2024 -
Videos are emerging in Syria that appear to show fighters from rebel groups committing human rights violations against suspected collaborators of the Asssad regime, fuelling fear among minority groups such as Shia, Kurds and Christians. © Observers
By:Observers team
While other factions still control significant parts of Syria – including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), HTS’s ally in the latest offensive, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – HTS has achieved a stunningly rapid military victory. In just ten days, the Islamist group toppled the Assad regime and seized control of most of Syria’s major cities.
This sudden consolidation of power has sparked widespread alarm, particularly among Syria’s minority communities. The country’s mosaic of ethnic and religious groups – including Shia Alawites, Christians, and Kurds – now finds itself under the rule of a group with a deeply controversial history. HTS, which remains on the terror lists of the United States and the European Union, has also provided shelter to international jihadists from Afghanistan, Chechnya, and France. For many minorities, the notion of such a group ruling from Damascus evokes fear and uncertainty about what lies ahead.
Since its creation in 2017, HTS has attempted to rebrand itself as a more moderate force, demonstrating a degree of tolerance towards certain minorities, particularly Christians, in the areas it controls, compared with the al Qaeda-linked group it emerged from. Since assuming power in Damascus and much of Syria this month, the group has generally shown restraint in its treatment of Christian and Shiite Alawite monuments and communities.
In official announcements and meetings with local minority leaders, HTS has repeatedly pledged to safeguard the safety of Christians and Alawites. Jolani told CNN on December 5: “These sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them.”
But reports and videos on Syrian social media show that reprisal killings have begun, casting doubt on HTS’s promises of protection. Members of the Alawite community appear to be the primary target. Despite representing only 10 percent of Syria’s population, Alawites dominated the country’s power structures for more than four decades under the Assad regime. Their close ties to Iran’s Shia regime – an unwavering backer of Bashar al-Assad – have further entrenched their vulnerability under HTS rule.
Video shows execution of suspected regime 'Shabiha'
On December 10 a video emerged on Telegram documenting the execution of four men by HTS fighters. The video opens with two bodies visible, one man on his back, another man face down with his hands apparently bound. A voice is heard saying: “There they are, Shabiha pigs,” a reference to the Shabiha, pro-regime militias known for beating and killing political opponents of the Assad clan. Two men are visible on their knees. As one of the fighters asks their name, others are heard calling them “Nusayriyah”, an anti-Alawite slur, and “Allahu akbar.” Two of the fighters, one wearing the black Seal of Muhammad flag popular among Islamist groups, then open fire and kill the two men with bursts from their Kalashnikovs, as a third says: “Two pigs killed in the village of Rabia.” (There are at least two villages in Syria called Rabia, one in Latakia governorate, the other in Hama governorate. There were conflicting reports about which village was the site of the killing.)
A 34-second video emerged on social media on December 10, 2024 showing rebel fighters executing suspected regime militia members in a Syrian village named Rabia. © Observers
FRANCE 24’s specialist on Islamist groups, Wassim Nasr, said the video was the first documented case of a summary execution by HTS fighters since the offensive began on November 27.
Other videos appearing to show reprisal attacks against suspected regime collaborators have also emerged. Two videos filmed in Idlib and posted on December 10 show a body being dragged behind a car as a crowd applauds. The caption includes an apparent plea to the HTS leadership: “We demand the establishment of a state with a justice system. Shabiha thugs should be punished by the rule of law, not by actions like this. There is no difference between you and the Assad regime.”
Videos emerged on social media December 10, 2024 showing the body of a man being dragged behind a car. The captions indicated that the victim was a suspected regime collaborator. The France 24 Observers team geolocated the video 50m east of Idilib’s Al-Mashtal Park but could not confirm the circumstances. © Observers
Videos like this are adding to the fears of Syrian citizens about their future under HTS. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to Syrians from the Alawite, Sunni and Christian communities.
'My family is terrified, they fled to the mountains'
Ali (not his real name), an Alawite Shiite who now lives outside Syria, remains in close contact with his family near Homs. Their lives, he says, have been upended by fear.
The HTS members came to our village and guaranteed the safety of the Alawites, But my family is terrified and cannot trust them. They fled to the mountains to wait and see what happens next.
While HTS fighters have instructed locals to surrender their weapons, few are willing to comply. This reluctance is compounded by videos circulating on social media that appear to show arbitrary executions carried out by HTS members. They kill Shiites after accusing them of being soldiers or informants for the former regime.
'Alawites are anxious about what comes next'
Mounir (not his real name), a young Sunni Syrian from Tartus – a former stronghold of the Assad regime – is optimistic about Syria’s future under the new Islamist government. “Everyone here is happy that the new government has ensured the safety of everyone,” he says confidently. However, even he admits that “the situation for the Alawites is unique".
The Alawites who held government positions or served in the military, along with their families, are frankly panicking.
They are afraid of reprisals or losing properties they may have acquired illegally during the Assad era. Most of them are staying at home and, as far as I can see, avoiding public places, even though many of them have already pledged allegiance to the new government.
Those Alawites are just as happy as the rest of us. Many of my Alawite friends have been hoping for Assad’s fall since 2011, just like we all were. When it finally happened, they celebrated in the streets of Tartus with everyone else.
Still, Mounir acknowledges the deep uncertainty gripping the Alawite community as a whole. “Even those who celebrated are anxious about what comes next.”
Christians feel safer, but uncertain
While many members of Syria’s Shia minority remain fearful and uncertain about the future under HTS rule, the country’s Christian communities appear to feel relatively safer – for now.
Sami (not his real name), a Christian originally from Homs who now lives abroad, describes how his family’s initial fears have subsided. “At first, my family was afraid of the jihadists, but not anymore,” he explains.
The rebels approached our Christian villages and towns with a deliberate effort to reassure the population. They first met with the priests and guaranteed the safety of the Christians. Then they rang the church bells and told people there was nothing to fear. In some regions, they even brought bread and entered the villages mostly unarmed. All my family members who fled our village on 6 December had returned to their homes by December 9.
Over the long term, they are still worried about the possible introduction of Sharia law.
'I am a little afraid they might impose hijab on us'
The uncertainty of Syria’s future under HTS rule is unsettling for many, including Haifa (not her real name), a young Sunni woman from Tartus. While she acknowledges the brutality of Assad’s regime, she fears the potential imposition of Sharia law and its consequences for her personal freedom.
It’s hard to believe that there could be anything worse than Assad’s regime. So far, everything is fine, but we must wait and see what the new government will insist on. What will the laws be? These are things we do not know yet.
So far, they haven’t imposed any Islamic rules on us, but I am a little afraid that they might impose the hijab on us. But compared to the rape of women under the Assad regime, that’s nothing.
Uncertain leadership, uncertain future
Broderick McDonald, an expert on jihadist groups in Syria, believes that Jolani faces significant challenges as he attempts to consolidate power.
On the one hand, Jolani must maintain good relations with his foot soldiers, including the more extremist elements within his ranks. On the other hand, he needs to present himself as a legitimate leader capable of fostering consensus and governing effectively.
There are factions within HTS – some more radical, some less. If Jolani pursues a localised, deradicalised strategy, there’s no guarantee that these factions will hold together. And, of course, there is no guarantee that Jolani himself won’t return to his jihadist origins once he has cemented power.
Fighter jets, tanks and more: Syrian army’s retreat from Aleppo is a windfall for rebels
It took just 72 hours for the Syrian army and its Russian- and Iran-backed allies to lose all the territory they had “liberated” from Islamist rebel groups in Aleppo province in five years of bloody fighting between 2014 and 2019. The regime forces left behind an unprecedented stockpile of weapons and ammunition, including jets, missiles, and tanks. In Iran – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s most important ally – criticism has mounted, with some observers deriding the Syrian army as being “not even good enough for a military parade”.
Issued on: 03/12/2024 -
The Syrian regime forces left behind an unprecedented stockpile of weapons and ammunition including jets, missiles, and tanks. © Observers
By:Alijani Ershad
The coordinated attacks, led by the Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), began on November 27. Almost immediately, videos of fleeing soldiers flooded social media – filmed not only by opposition fighters but by Syrian soldiers themselves. Footage emerged of military convoys racing along the M5 motorway leading south to the capital Damascus, abandoning their positions as the front line collapsed.
This video posted by a blogger close to Syria’s HTS rebel group on November 27, 2024, shows a Russian-made tank. The caption says it was captured by HTS soldiers in western Aleppo “from the criminal regime.”
This video posted on Telegram November 30, 2024 by an Iranian military blogger shows Syrian army vehicles heading south from Aleppo during an attack on the province by Islamist rebels. In the caption, the blogger makes fun of the Syrian army's retreat: “Drag race of the Syrian army's armoured vehicles.”
In this video posted on Telegram November 30, 2024, Syrian rebels show the capture of Czech-made L-39 Albatros warplanes after they took control of Aleppo from the Syrian army.
'Over the last decade, this army’s leadership has failed'
"Tankograd" is an Iranian military blogger who has closely followed the war in Syria and Iran’s interventions in the country over the past decade. Like other analysts in Iran, he followed social media traffic in recent weeks indicating the possibility of preparations for a major offensive by rebel groups in northern Syria.
The first failure here is the intelligence service of Assad’s army. Even we, as observers watching opposition groups on social media, could see that something big was happening –but they didn’t.
The second issue is the lack of professional and well-trained soldiers in the ranks of Assad’s army. The backbone of this force consists of conscripts, most of whom are opposed to his regime. The rest are poorly paid – sometimes going months without salaries – leaving them in brutal poverty.
This photograph posted on Telegram on December 2, 2024 shows a Russian-made T90-A tank captured by Syrian rebels in Aleppo province. The T90-A is the most modern armoured vehicle used by the Syrian army. © .
The third issue is the inefficient chain of command. Over the last decade, this army’s leadership has failed to implement basic defensive measures, such as digging trenches or fortifying positions to slow potential enemy advances. And the soldiers themselves have never been trained for such scenarios.
The video posted on Telegram on November 28, 2024 shows Syrian army soldiers fleeing the battlefield in Aleppo.
This army was caught entirely off-guard by the attack. While any military can face a surprise assault, the ability to hold defensive lines depends on pre-built fortifications, proper training, and the soldiers’ willingness to stand their ground – not to mention reliable equipment. Assad’s army lacks all of these. It never had them, and the situation has only worsened in the last ten years. Thousands of semi-trained soldiers have been killed, and there is no budget to modernise the army. At this point, these troops aren’t even fit for a military parade.
This photo, posted by a blogger close to Syria’s HTS rebel group on December 2, 2024, shows handguns captured by rebels forces after the retreast of the Syrian army from Aleppo.According to observers on the ground and experts, armed militias were able to seize the city of Aleppo with minimal resistance. The rest of the province – largely controlled by various militias aligned with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – fell with similarly little opposition. The IRGC-aligned forces include Lebanese Hezbollah, the Afghan Fatemiyoun Brigade and the Pakistani Zeynabioun.
“Tankograd”, the Iranian military blogger, explains:For positions held by others, such as the Russians, and IRGC-linked groups like Hezbollah of Lebanon or IRGC-affiliated Afghan and Pakistani fighters, the situation was somewhat different. When the Syrian army fled, these groups had no chance – neither in terms of numbers nor defensive preparations – to stop or even slow the advance of the armed opposition forces. So they too were forced to retreat.
Among the military equipment the Syrian rebels claimed to have captured in Aleppo is a Russian air defence missile system known as Pantsir, seen here in a photograph posted on social media on December 1, 2024. © .Each garrison, airport, and village abandoned by Assad’s forces and their allies left behind significant amounts of military hardware. Videos have surfaced online showing unprecedented quantities and types of weapons and ammunition captured by opposition forces. These include advanced weaponry that was not destroyed during the retreat and now lies in the hands of various armed groups, including some Islamist factions.Videos posted on social media since November 27 and reviewed by the FRANCE 24 Observers show the following armaments now in the in hands of rebel groups: 11 L-39 Albatros jets, dozens of tanks – including Russian-made T-90As, the most modern model in the Syrian army’s arsenal – Mil helicopters, military drones, anti-aircraft missiles, heavy vehicles, anti-tank missiles, artillery, mortars, and stores of ammunition of all kinds. It was impossible to assess the battle-readiness of the weapons.'Some of the captured weapons can only be shown in propaganda videos'“Tankograd” continues:Even retreat has its rules and professional methods, but in the last ten years, I have never seen the Assad army retreat properly – they just run away.As a result, they always leave behind large quantities of weapons and ammunition for their enemies. Over the years, almost all the ammunition and most of the anti-tank missiles used by armed groups against Assad’s forces originally came from the stockpiles abandoned by his army. These groups simply confiscated them. But this time, the quantities seen in the videos are enormous for a single operation and include several types of heavy weapons that opposition forces have been able to obtain for the first time in the Syrian war.According to 'Tankogrd,' the captured weapons can be divided into two categories: those that armed groups are able to use, and those they can only display in videos for propaganda purposes but cannot actually operate.These groups are able to use the anti-tank guided missiles, artillery, mortars, tanks, and APCs. And that can make a huge difference. However, I don’t believe they will be able to operate the fighter jets or anti-air missile systems. These require trained personnel, and they simply don’t have them. Turkey cannot help them either because most of these weapons are Russian-made, and the Turks are unfamiliar with them.Estimates suggest that Iran has spent more than $50 billion in Syria to keep Assad in power. The battles for Aleppo, in particular, marked one of the bloodiest chapters for Iran’s forces, with dozens of soldiers from the IRGC’s elite “25th Karbala Brigade” killed.UPDATE 5/12/2024: The original version of this article published December 3, 2024 gave a pseudonym for the Iranian military blogger.
