GENEVA: War crimes were likely committed by both members of interim government forces and fighters loyal to Syria’s former rulers during a major outbreak of sectarian violence in Syria’s coastal areas that culminated in a series of March massacres, a UN team of investigators found in a report on Thursday.
Some 1,400 people, mainly civilians, were reported killed during the violence that primarily targeted Alawi communities, and reports of violations continue, according to a report by the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry.
The incidents in the coastal region were the worst violence to hit Syria since the fall of President Bashar Assad last year, prompting the interim government to name a fact-finding committee.