Alawites are an Arab ethnic and religious group, with distinct cultures, languages and religious beliefs. They live mainly in the Levant region in West Asia.

For two days, Rihab Kamel and her family hid terrified in their bathroom in the city of Baniyas as armed men stormed the neighbourhood, pursuing members of Syria’s Alawite minority. The coastal city is part of Syria’s Alawite heartland that has been gripped by the fiercest violence since former president Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December.

More than 1,300 dead in a few days - US condemns "Islamist terrorists & foreign jihadists who murder civilians" - Turkey supports the jihadists - Washington & Moscow call for a Security Council meetin

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa forms committees to investigate the recent waves of violence between security forces and Alawite loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. View on eurone

Members of the small religious sect find themselves caught between two forces that many of them distrust: the new, Islamist-led government in Damascus and Syria’s hostile neighbor, Israel, which has used the plight of the Druze as a pretext to intervene in the country.

It accounts for around 10% of Syria's population, which is predominantly Sunni Muslim. Assad belonged to the sect. However, since the civil war intensified, different militant groups have been targeting Alawites for their ties with Assad and his military allies.

Syria's defence ministry announced on Monday the end of a major security operation in coastal provinces, after days of violence and mass killings that sparked international concern.