Eternal Father,
I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity
of Your Dearly Beloved Son,
Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins
and those of the whole world.
Based on the available information as of March 12, 2025, there have been reports of significant violence in Syria during early March 2025, particularly in the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus. This violence has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, with estimates varying across sources. While the majority of the victims appear to be from the Alawite minority, there are indications that Christians were also affected, though the scale and targeting of Christians specifically remain debated.
Reports indicate that clashes began around March 6, 2025, when gunmen loyal to the ousted president Bashar al-Assad ambushed security forces of the transitional government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This sparked a brutal response, escalating into widespread sectarian violence. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported over 1,000 deaths, including 745 civilians, by March 8, with numbers rising to over 1,200 civilians by March 11 according to some accounts. The violence has been described as one of the deadliest episodes since the fall of Assad in December 2024.
Regarding Christians specifically, evidence suggests they were caught up in the violence, but it is not clear they were systematically targeted as a group. Newsweek reported on March 10, 2025, that “hundreds of minorities, including Christians,” were killed, citing local accounts and statements from Christian leaders. The patriarchs of Syria’s three main Christian churches—Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic—issued a joint statement on March 8 condemning “massacres targeting innocent civilians,” though they did not specify Christians as the sole focus. Nonprofit Greco-Levantines World Wide noted specific cases, such as the killing of Antiochian Greek Christians Tony and Fadi Petrus, and the father of a priest in Baniyas, suggesting some Christian deaths were tied to the broader chaos rather than a deliberate campaign.
However, conflicting perspectives exist. L’Œuvre d’Orient, a Catholic aid organization, estimated around ten Christian deaths and stated there were “no massacres of Christians in recent days” specifically, but rather mass killings of Alawites by uncontrolled militias. Social media posts on X and some outlets like GB News have claimed a “massacre of Christians,” with figures as high as “over 340” from one source, though these lack independent verification and may exaggerate or misrepresent the situation. The majority of civilian casualties—over 830 according to SOHR—were Alawites, targeted in apparent revenge attacks for their historical association with Assad’s regime.
The violence has displaced thousands, including Christians and Alawites, with many fleeing to mountains or seeking refuge at the Russian base in Hmeimim. The transitional government has promised investigations, but the involvement of various armed factions, including some tied to HTS, has fueled fears among minorities. While Christians, numbering around 300,000 in Syria after years of decline, have expressed heightened anxiety, the data does not conclusively support a narrative of a genocide aimed solely at them in this instance. Instead, it points to a broader sectarian conflict where multiple minorities, including Christians, suffered amid the chaos.
In summary, Christians were among the victims of the March 2025 violence in Syria, with confirmed deaths in the coastal regions, but the primary focus of the massacres appears to have been Alawites. The situation remains fluid, with casualty figures and motivations still under scrutiny as of March 12, 2025.
God Bless 🙏💕
Be Inspired! 
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