Kremlin urges swift action to curb violence in Syria

RT.com
10 Mar 2025, 16:05 GMT+10

Hundreds of civilians have reportedly been killed amid a resurgence of fighting in the war-torn nation

Moscow is concerned about a reported surge of violence in Syria and supports international intervention, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. As many as 1,300 people have been killed in the cities of Latakia and Tartus in three days, including more than 800 civilians, according to news reports.

Russia and US have requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss a response.

"Many nations and international organizations, including the UN, share our concern," Peskov said during a regular media briefing.

The Russian official declined to comment on claims that some civilians facing attacks by militias allied with the new Syrian government found shelter inside a Russian military base.

The Syrian government was toppled in late 2024, after militant forces opposing then President Bashar Assad took control over Damascus. The Assad family belongs to the Alawite sect of Islam, which is viewed negatively by hardline Islamists supporting the country's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Alawites were reportedly massacred en masse by Syrian security forces after an armed rebellion against the new authorities by groups described in Western media as Assad loyalists. Al-Sharaa, formerly the leader of the jihadist force HTS, has vowed to hold accountable anyone harming innocent civilians. Western nations have granted his government the benefit of the doubt, after al-Sharaa pledged to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities and pave the way for an inclusive civilian government in Syria.

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