Frontline report: Syrian security forces accused of overseeing gunmen killing civilians | BBC News

Armed gunmen in Syria who carried out a wave of recent sectarian killings of the country’s Alawite minority were advised and overseen by government forces, according to evidence gathered by the BBC.

One man, Abu Khalid, said he had travelled as a civilian fighter to the Mediterranean coastal village of Sanobar on 7 March, to help battle former regime insurgents.

He filmed himself shooting dead a 64-year-old village resident, Mahmoud Yusef Mohammed, at the entrance to his house. Abu Khalid, who has now been arrested, insisted his victim was an armed insurgent. However video he filmed of the incident does not support his account. He now says he had been told by the government security officials not to harm civilians but only to shoot at insurgents.

Human rights groups estimate that almost 900 civilians, mainly Alawites, were killed by pro-government forces across Syria’s coastal region in early March. The Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam and its followers make up around 10% of Syria’s population, which is majority Sunni. Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad who fled the country last December is an Alawite.

Syria’s coastal area – a stronghold of the former regime – has been largely sealed off, but a BBC team gained access, speaking to witnesses and security officials about what happened in Sanobar. The violence came a day after fighters loyal to the country’s former President led deadly raids on government security forces.

Syria’s new Sunni Islamist-led government had called for support from various military units and militia groups to respond to those raids – but that escalated into a wave of sectarian anger against Alawite civilians.

Witnesses told the BBC that several different armed groups had targeted Alawites for summary executions. Some also said that government security forces had battled violent and extremist factions in order to protect Alawite villagers from attack.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lucy Williamson in Sanobar.

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