Many thought they were designed to provide the Alawites with the underpinnings of an alternative state in case Syria broke up.However, the bloodshed deep into the Alawite heartland, and the near absence of condemnation among Syria’s Sunni majority,

The killings occurred in the heartland of Syria’s Alawite minority, escalating after a nascent insurgency formed against the Sunni Islamist government.

Hundreds of people have reportedly fled their homes in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus - strongholds of Assad support. Local residents have described scenes of looting and mass killings, including of children.

Assad's régime in Syria, the new government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, have drawn international condemnation for a four day spiral of violence in the regions of Latakia and Tartus. When a group of gunmen loyal to Assad ambushed Syrian security forces,