Over 500 minority Alawite civilians killed by Syrian forces in coastal clashes
'Slaughtered'
The Alawite heartland has been gripped by fear of reprisals for the Assad family's brutal rule, which included widespread torture and disappearances.
Social media users have shared posts documenting the killing of Alawite friends and relatives, with one user saying her mother and brothers were all "slaughtered" in their home.
AFP could not independently verify the accounts.
The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria, has reported multiple "massacres" in recent days, with women and children among the dead.
"The vast majority of the victims were summarily executed by elements affiliated to the ministry of defence and the interior," the monitor said on Friday.
The Observatory and activists released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled outside a house, with blood stains nearby and women wailing.
Other videos appeared to show men in military garb shooting people at close range.
AFP could not independently verify the images.
The United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, decried "very troubling reports of civilian casualties".
He called on all sides to refrain from actions which could "destabilise Syria, and jeopardise a credible and inclusive political transition".
The International Committee of the Red Cross urged all parties to "ensure umimpeded access to health care and protection of medical facilities".
"First responders and humanitarian workers must be allowed safe access to provide medical aid and to transport the wounded and dead," it said in a post on X.
Aron Lund of the Century International think tank said the violence was "a bad omen".
The new government lacks the tools, incentives and local support base to engage with disgruntled Alawites, he said.
"All they have is repressive power, and a lot of that... is made up of jihadist zealots who think Alawites are enemies of God."
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