Syria president urges unity after deadly clashes

Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa urged national unity and peace following reports of over 1,000 deaths in recent clashes in coastal Syria. The violence, the worst since the overthrow of Bashar Al Assad, involved new security forces and former government loyalists. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 745 Alawite civilians were among the dead, with many killed in executions. Security forces have been deployed to restore order, while schools in affected provinces remain closed due to instability. The clashes began after the arrest of a suspect in an Alawite village. Despite a reported return to calm, fear of reprisals against the Alawite community persists, with social media documenting the violence.