Alawites

Continuing the purge of Syria’s Alawite minority that began with large scale massacres back in March, Interior Ministry security forces have almost entirely depopulated the metro Damascus neighborhood of al-Somaria, which was up until the raids, an Alawite majority area. The raids began in late August, with security forces led by an Interior Ministry commander known as Abu Hudhayfah entering al-Somaria with guns and eviction orders. They went door to door and informed Alawite locals that they were living there illegally and demanded they prove otherwise. Those who couldn’t immediately document the ownership had their homes spray-painted with O’s, meaning they had to leave within 48 hours.