section_path: Presidency (2025–present)/Early actions/Western Syria clashes
section_name: Western Syria clashes
paragraph_text: Western Syria clashes
  
  By 6 March 2025, clashes broke out in Western Syria between Assad loyalists and the Syrian caretaker government forces. It was the worst violence since rebels toppled Assad regime. In a speech addressing Syrian people on 8 March, al-Sharaa stated: "Some remnants of the fallen regime attempted to test the new Syria they do not understand. Today, they see it as united, from east to west, from north to south,...". Condemning the attacks against police forces, hospitals and civilians by Assadist insurgents, al-Sharaa said: "You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it." He demanded that they surrender their arms "before it's too late." He stated that he would "continue to work towards monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state, and there will be no more unregulated weapons."
  
  Al-Sharaa urged pro-government fighters to "avoid any abuses" after reports emerged of massacres of Alawite civilians in Latakia. On 9 March, al-Sharaa announced the formation of an independent national committee comprising seven judges to investigate the events and violations in the Syrian coastal areas, emphasizing that the committee must submit its findings to the president within 30 days. He described the coastal violence as part of the "expected challenges." On 10 March, al-Sharaa condemned the recent mass killings of Alawite Muslims, emphasizing that such violence threatens national unity. He pledged to hold all perpetrators accountable, including those within his own ranks, stating, "We won't accept that any blood be shed unjustly, or goes without punishment or accountability, even among those closest to us." al-Sharaa attributed the initial violence to pro-Assad groups backed by foreign entities but acknowledged subsequent revenge attacks. He reiterated his commitment to uphold the rule of law and prevent the nation from descending into sectarian conflict.
  
  The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 1,614 civilians were killed by armed militias supporting the Syrian caretaker government between 6 March 2025 and 12 March 2025. On that same day, al-Sharaa signed an agreement with Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to incorporate SDF-controlled institutions into the state, establish border crossings, and pledge to fight the remnants of the Assad regime. The deadline for the merger has been set for the end of 2025. On 12 March, the caretaker government announced the formation of a National Security Council to be chaired by al-Sharaa.