Damascus, Syria – A Syrian government-backed investigative committee said Tuesday that 1,426 people were killed during violent unrest in the country’s coastal region in March, with nearly 300 individuals suspected of committing rights violations during the clashes.
The findings, based on over three months of investigation, were presented at a press conference in Damascus by the committee, which is chaired by Judge Jumaa Al-Anzi. The committee said those killed included 90 women and former military personnel who had previously accepted reconciliation agreements.
The probe documented 298 pro-government individuals suspected of involvement in abuses during the unrest, in addition to 265 others described as “remnants of the former regime”. These individuals were accused of targeting civilians and state institutions in an apparent attempt to separate the coastal region from central government control.
The panel reported that its members visited 33 sites, examined multiple mass graves, and gathered more than 900 witness testimonies. It recorded 450 statements relating to killings and another 486 regarding threats and torture.
Read also: Over 1,300 Killed or Injured in Syria’s Suwayda
In a notable revelation, the report alleged that more than 230 members of the state’s general security forces were killed by factions labelled as “regime remnants.” The committee also confirmed that some civilians had been subjected to sectarian slurs by government security forces during the clashes on March 7 and 8.
While the report did not name individual suspects or witnesses, citing security concerns, it stated that lists of alleged perpetrators had been submitted to the public prosecutor. However, the committee stressed that its findings were based on strong “suspicion rather than definitive proof.”
The report concluded that state control during the violence was “partial or absent in many areas”, with government forces unable to contain the situation.
Although the committee said the violations were widespread, it found no evidence that they were part of a “coordinated or systematic campaign”.
The panel recommended legal reviews of questionable government appointments and called for efforts to counter sectarian incitement. With its work now concluded, the committee said responsibility for monitoring government action would shift to Syrian civil society.
