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Frontline report: Syrian govt forces monitored armed civilians during sectarian violence | BBC News
Armed gunmen in Syria who carried out a wave of recent sectarian killings of the country’s Alawite minority were monitored by government forces, according to evidence gathered by the BBC.
One man, Abu Khalid, said he had travelled as a civilian fighter to the Mediterranean coastal village of Sanobar on 7 March, to help battle former regime insurgents.
He filmed himself shooting dead a 64-year-old village resident, Mahmoud Yusef Mohammed, at the entrance to his house. Abu Khalid, who has now been arrested, insisted his victim was an armed insurgent. However video he filmed of the incident does not support his account. He now says he had been told by the government security officials not to harm civilians but only to shoot at insurgents.
Human rights groups estimate that almost 900 civilians, mainly Alawites, were killed by pro-government forces across Syria’s coastal region in early March. The Alawite sect is an offshoot of Shia Islam and its followers make up around 10% of Syria’s population, which is majority Sunni. Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad who fled the country last December is an Alawite.
Syria’s coastal area – a stronghold of the former regime – has been largely sealed off, but a BBC team gained access, speaking to witnesses and security officials about what happened in Sanobar. The violence came a day after fighters loyal to the country’s former President led deadly raids on government security forces.
Syria’s new Sunni Islamist-led government had called for support from various military units and militia groups to respond to those raids – but that escalated into a wave of sectarian anger against Alawite civilians.
Witnesses told the BBC that several armed groups had targeted Alawites and carried out summary executions. Some also said that government security forces had battled violent and extremist factions in order to protect Alawite villagers from attack.
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lucy Williamson in Sanobar.
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In Lebanon, one in five people have been forced to leave their homes since fighting renewed in March.
The BBC’s Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega joined paramedics on duty in Nabatieh – a city that was once vibrant, but is now abandoned.
Israel say some ambulances and health facilities in Lebanon are being used by Hezbollah – but paramedics say there is no evidence of this claim.
Elsewhere, the Israel Defense Forces said troops had killed more than 20 Hezbollah fighters operating from a hospital compound in Bint Jbeil on Sunday, the site of fierce fighting during the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s health ministry denied the claim, accusing Israel of targeting civilians and medical facilities.
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Police in Greece have been recruiting migrants to violently push other migrants back across its land border with Turkey, according to wide-ranging evidence uncovered by the BBC.
Pushbacks – forcing migrants and asylum seekers back across borders without due process – are generally considered illegal under international law.
The Greek prime minister told the BBC he was “totally unaware” about allegations of the use of migrants for pushbacks, while the country’s authorities have not responded to our written detailed requests for comment.
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US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of doing a “very poor job” in handling oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it was “not the agreement we have”.
It comes as the ceasefire between the US and Iran was agreed earlier this week, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aiming to begin direct talks with Lebanon for peaceful relations.
A US State Department official confirmed it would host a meeting next week in Washington “to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon”.
After Israeli strikes continued in Lebanon throughout Thursday, Trump said that Israel would be “scaling back” its strikes in the country to support peace talks.
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Join the AI Decoded team as we examine Sam Altman’s vision for an era of artificial superintelligence. The Open AI CEO is calling for a new kind of social contract — an “AI New Deal” — arguing that unprecedented technological power will require rethinking how the benefits are shared, including ideas such as wealth redistribution and even taxes on robots.
Also in the programme, presenter Christian Fraser is joined by leading AI thinker Gary Marcus and Oxford University robotics expert Professor Sara Bernardini to explore what a future shaped by autonomous machines could mean for work, safety and society.
Plus, tech reporter Lara Lewington meets 19‑year‑old student Maeve O’Neil, whose smart ring detected a life‑threatening health issue before it was too late.
AI Decoded — helping you make sense of the AI shaping your world.
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