section_path: Violence and massacres/April/8–10 April
section_name: 8–10 April
paragraph_text: 8–10 April
  
  The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a marked re-escalation of extrajudicial killings by "unknown gunmen", with sixteen civilians being executed or murdered in 48 hours over 8–10 April, including eight deaths in Homs. Incidents reported by SOHR included the following. On 8 April, General Security Service personnel opened fire on unarmed young men in Latakia and on reported thieves escaping a checkpoint in al-Suqaylabiyah. On 9 April, a Russian-linked former commander of an Iranian-backed armed group was assassinated in Aleppo by unknown gunmen, and revenge attacks were conducted against Assad regime veterans accused of violations.
  
  By 15 April, Alawite civilians were still being killed and harassed, including some who had been opposed to Assad and had never served in the former army.