Alawites flee homes in Damascus suburb after threats from armed group

Many residents of a suburb in northwest Damascus have fled their homes, following repeated threats and arbitrary arrests from an armed faction.

Most of the affected families in the al-Sumaria neighbourhood are Alawites, the religious minority group to which the ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad belongs.

The development comes as Syria’s interim government struggles to contend with the internal security challenges left by almost 14 years of civil war.

The crisis in the Syrian capital’s al-Sumaria district, which is home to around 6,000 residents, escalated late last month.

Read more: Euronews