With dire reports of mass killings coming out of Syria, one expert is sounding the alarm about the dangerous situation on the ground.
Joel Veldkamp, head of international communications at Christian Solidarity International, told CBN News he believes at least hundreds of people might have been killed in recent days amid murderous unrest in the region.
“There’s a list circulating of 717 names of Alawite Muslim civilians who were killed in the last few days, and that list was circulated on Saturday,” he said. “It’s now Monday, and the killings haven’t stopped as far as we can tell. It’s extremely grave.”
Veldkamp said armed forces loyal to Syria’s new government have attacked the region, where most of the residents are part of the Alawite Muslim sect.
“This is a sect of Islam that the jihadists worldview would consider an apostate sect, which means they’re outside the law, they’re outside of protection, they can be killed, they can be enslaved, really seen as worse than Christians and Jews, as some jihadists will say,” he said. “This is kind of what we were afraid of three months ago when the Assad regime was overthrown by this rebel coalition.”
Despite the horror inflicted under former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Veldkamp noted that those who overthrew the regime — under the control of a man named Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa — are jihadists whom he said have been “preaching this horrible message of Sunni Muslim supremacy.”
“I’m afraid it’s very bad and it is likely to get worse,” Veldkamp added.
While some headlines and videos circulating have alleged that Christian minorities are being targeted, he said he has heard of only a few cases of Christians being killed and, from his perspective, it does not at this time seem to be a systematic problem.
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Al-Sharaa was the leader of the al-Qaeda in Syria, which adds chaos into the mix — and uncertainty about how he will lead. Watch Veldkamp explain.
CNN reported Wednesday that the United Nations human rights office said entire families were killed amid the violence, with some estimates noting 800 people were slaughtered.
The clash reportedly unfolded between groups loyal to the new regime and those affiliated with al-Assad.
With the violence reportedly now coming to a halt, Al-Sharaa said he will assemble a committee to investigate what unfolded and hold those responsible accountable.
Read more here.
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