The Syrian president receives the official report of committee charged with investigating Syrian coast recent killing events

The Syrian presidency announced on Sunday, July 20, 2025, that the head of the transitional phase, Ahmed al Sharaa, received the final report from the Independent National Committee tasked with investigating the violations that occurred on the Syrian coast in early March.

The statement issued by the presidency stated that this report represents the culmination of extensive field work conducted by the committee, with the aim of uncovering the circumstances of what happened in a number of coastal villages and towns, and identifying those responsible for the violations that targeted civilians and security and military structures in the region.

The Syrian presidency affirmed that the committee’s formation stemmed from the state’s commitment to preventing any violations or attempts to distort the facts from becoming part of Syria’s future, noting that the committee was established to ensure transparency and accountability across the country, from north to south.

The statement added that the Presidency appreciates the significant efforts made by the committee members, stressing that it will carefully study the findings contained in the report to ensure clear and effective measures are taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, within the framework of building a “new, more just and accountable Syria”.

The Syrian presidency has officially invited the National Committee to hold a press conference soon to present the most important findings of its investigations to the public and explain the next steps in dealing with the incident, while respecting the dignity and rights of the victims.

The events erupted on March 6, when areas in the Latakia countryside, that witnessed a state of chaos and lawlessness after an armed faction called “Coastal Shield” announced its control over several locations.

These developments were accompanied by widespread protests and accusations of serious violations against civilians by undisciplined military groups.

This prompted the presidency to issue a decision on March 9 to form an independent national fact-finding committee.

The committee ‘s work included investigating violations against civilians, as well as attacks on security and military forces, with a focus on identifying those involved, whether directly or through cover-ups.

For its part, the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian transitional Government acknowledged violations committed by undisciplined military formations and affirmed its determination to hold accountable anyone proven to be involved by referring them to the military judiciary.

In the same context, Amnesty International issued a report on April 4 describing what happened on the Syrian coast as “war crimes,” based on witness testimonies and visual evidence.

In turn, the head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council, Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, called in a video statement for an independent international investigation and urgent humanitarian protection for civilians.

He emphasized that his call bears no sectarian or political character, but rather stems from a duty to protect innocents, particularly those from the Alawite community.

Ghazal added that extremist groups committed murder, mutilation of corpses, and kidnapping during these incidents, emphasizing that “Alawite blood isn’t cheap, and the shedding of innocent blood must not be tolerated,” he said.