The UN says entire families were killed in Syria's coastal region during clashes between the new authorities and members of the Alawite community, which is mostly loyal to former president Bashar al-Assad. The UN Human Rights Office says it has documented the killing of over 100 civilians, mostly in summary executions, and expects the final figure to be much higher. Reporter told us the killings appear to have been part of a sectarian war. Monitors are putting the death toll just under 1,100.
On Monday, another development was reported: the new government reached a deal with Kurdish forces to integrate them into the country's institutions. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara and the leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Maz MDI, said the deal would establish a ceasefire across Syria and integrate all institutions in the northeast into the Syrian state.
So far, the situation has calmed down, according to eyewitnesses in various parts of the coastal cities of Syria. The Ministry of Defense itself announced that they have stopped the operation where there were clashes between remnants of the Assad regime. One resident fled his home, He said that security forces have set up checkpoints to protect people from further violence. There are also efforts by the investigative committee to look into the killings that took place over the past three days, as ordered by the interim president, Ahmed al-Shara. A lot of work is happening on the ground, not only to arrest those involved in the killings but also to target individuals sending hate messages or inciting sectarianism online. The government has been taken by surprise by members of its own forces committing these crimes, and they are now working to stop it.
Terms of the deal that has now been agreed with the SDF, this help bring security to the country this is a very important breakthrough. The situation with the Kurdish Democratic Forces was causing a lot of concern in the country. The interim president had been calling for unity, and that's what happened yesterday. The deal was announced at a time when people were really worried about the safety and unity of the country, with some voices even calling for international protection for minorities in the coastal areas. This step, and the announcement coming out of Damascus, that there would now be one army protecting the rights of the Kurds, is a major breakthrough. Remember, the Kurds never enjoyed any protections during the regime of Bashar al-Assad, so this is really a significant achievement.
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