Hundreds of civilians have been killed in Syria's coastal region during a military campaign against Alawites, the UN Human Rights Commission announced on March 11.

In footage viewed by IntelliNews' Middle East and North Africa bureaus, several videos and dozens of images recorded by perpetrators show killings in ethnic Armenian and Alawite villages in the Latakia region from March 6 onwards.

The killings come as other events in Syria, including the agreement by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to merge with the new Turkish-backed government in Damascus, as well as Israel's assault on the country's southern border early in the morning, supersede the events on the northwestern coast. 

"111 civilians had been killed in the Syrian coastal region, with the actual number of casualties believed to be much higher," said Thamin Al-Khitan, the Commission's spokesperson, during a press briefing in Geneva. He added that many documented killings appeared to be summary executions carried out on sectarian grounds.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric acknowledged on March 10 that "atrocities were committed and people were killed" in western Syria's coastal areas, though noting the organisation lacked "a clear picture of what happened."

Footage viewed by IntelliNews shows militants linked to the new Syrian regime in Damascus executing men, women and children in residential areas while destroying property. One video depicts murdered women, including elderly women and mothers with children, in their living room in Baniyas on March 10. Another shows bodies on a balcony in a northern city, while other footage appears to show targeted attacks on Armenian-owned businesses.

The violence erupted last week between fighters associated with the new Syrian government and forces loyal to al-Assad. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, clashes have claimed over 1,000 civilian lives, primarily Alawites.

Adam Abdel-Moula, UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator in Syria, denied reports about the deployment of a UN fact-finding mission to the region, contradicting claims circulating in social media and international news outlets.

Amnesty International has urged authorities to allow independent investigators access to conduct fact-finding missions in the area.

"Authorities must allow independent local and international investigators access to the region, including the coastal areas, so they can investigate the facts for themselves," said Heba Morayef, Director of the organisation's Middle East and North Africa regional office.

Syria's transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa has claimed that supporters of former president al-Assad and a foreign state orchestrated the attacks, describing them as "an opportunity for revenge" over past grievances.

"This blood will not go in vain without accountability or punishment, even if it involves those closest to us," al-Sharaa told Reuters.