Interim Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa called for national reconciliation on Sunday following a surge in violence along the Mediterranean coast that killed hundreds of people over the past two days. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 1,000 individuals have lost their lives in what is considered the worst communal bloodshed since the downfall of President Bashar Assad last December.

Syrian security officials reported at least 200 of their members were killed in attacks by former army personnel still loyal to the ousted Assad regime. The violence intensified on Thursday when multiple ambushes against government forces spiraled into revenge attacks. Thousands of pro-government supporters descended on the coastal areas, leading to a spike in casualties and reports of summary executions in Alawite-majority villages.

Security forces blamed “unruly armed militias” for the most brutal reprisals, claiming these groups were acting independently while targeting communities perceived as Assad loyalists. A Syrian security source, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, indicated that pro-Assad insurgents have switched tactics, staging hit-and-run assaults on public utilities. Key facilities such as a major power station, a water pumping station, and several fuel depots were damaged in the past 24 hours.