Terrible: More than a thousand deaths from clashes and vengeance in Syria

The group said that in addition to nearly 750 civilians killed, mainly from shooting from a nearby distance, 125 government security forces were killed and nearly 150 militants with armed groups linked to al-Assad.

The war monitor also added that electricity and drinking water were cut off in large areas around the western coastal town of Latakia.

The clashes that erupted Thursday marked a major escalation in the challenge to the new government in Damascus, three months after the rebels assumed authority following al-Assad's sudden departure from power.

In a joint statement, Syria's Christian patriarchs said: “Syria has witnessed a dangerous escalation of violence, brutality and murder, resulting in attacks on innocent civilians, including women and children”.

Al-Assad collapsed after the Hayat Tarhir al-Sham (HTS) group organised an unexpected offensive in early December, bringing down his government after a 24-year mandate and more than five decades of rule by the al-Assad family.

The government has said they were responding to attacks from the remains of al-Assad forces and blamed individual “actions” for rampant violence.

The revenge killings that began Friday by Muslim Muslim officers loyal to the government against members of the al-Assad ethnic minority group are a major blow to HTS. The Alaws made up a large part of al-Assad's support base for decades.

Village dwellers and alavite cities reported that armed men opened fire on the Alavites on the street or at the gates of their homes. Many alavite houses were also reportedly looted and then burned in various areas.

Baniyas was one of the most violent - hit cities. Residents there say that the bodies were scattered on the street or left unterred at home and on roof buildings, without anyone able to collect them.

One resident told the AP that armed persons prevented residents from removing the bodies of their five neighbours killed Friday for hours.

Residents also added that the attacks on Baniya were indiscriminately and were only intended to seek revenge from the al-Assad minority for atrocities committed by the al-Assad regime.

It was very, very bad. The troops were on the street”, Ali Sheha, a 57-year-old resident of Baniyas, said as he was leaving. He added that armed persons were located less than 100m from his apartment building, accidentally shooting at homes and residents.

He also noted that in an incident, armed persons reportedly asked residents for their identity cards to control their religion and confirm their alavite sect before killing them.

The shocking incident has triggered reactions and concerns by Western officials. Germany's special envoy for Syria Stefan Schneck spoke of X, condemning the violence.

“I am deeply shocked by the numerous victims in western Syria and I urge all to seek peaceful solutions, national unity, comprehensive political dialogue and transitional justice. We must get out of the cycle of violence and hatred. Germany is willing to help wherever we can. ”

The European Union's employee for Syria, Michael Ohnmacht, also commented on the tragic unfolding incident, echoing the same rhetoric as his German counterpart. He also called for an end to the violence and for all parties to self-compliance” and “to respect the right of all Syrian people” to live in security and peace.

France expressed its deep “concern” for the recent violence in Syria. Paris “sentences in the harshest possible terms atrocities committed against civilians on the basis of religious grounds and against prisoners”, his foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday.

France urged interim Syrian authorities to ensure that independent investigations “shed full light on these crimes”.