Terror in the Attic: A Family’s Last Moments
A mother and her daughter huddled by the attic window, trying to remain silent as armed men gathered outside their gate. Their panicked breathing was barely controlled as they secretly recorded a video of the moment that would soon shatter their lives.
Earlier that day, on March 7, the Khalil family patriarch reassured them that they were safe. The new Islamist-aligned government forces invading their village of al-Sanobar were only targeting supporters of the recently ousted dictator, Bashar al-Assad.
“We haven’t done anything wrong,” a relative recalled him saying, as they watched fighters storm a neighbor’s home.
Hours later, he was dead. His lifeless body lay sprawled on the patio beside his son’s corpse.
Massacre Broadcasted on Social Media
A masked fighter, reveling in the violence, filmed himself looting the home while chanting “ethnic cleansing, ethnic cleansing”. He then posted the footage to his 28,000 Facebook followers.
Survivors hiding upstairs listened in horror as the raid unfolded, hearing gunshots and screams before silence fell. The Khalil family’s fate was just one of many brutal executions carried out across Alawite communities in Syria’s coastal region.
The Mass Killings in Pine Village
A CNN investigation into al-Sanobar, or “Pine Village”, has uncovered devastating details of sectarian violence.
- Using satellite imagery, verified videos, and firsthand testimonies from seven survivors, CNN documented the execution of villagers, looting, and mass graves.
- At least 84 bodies were identified in videos geolocated to Pine Village, though locals claim more than 200 were killed—most of them men.
- Victims were subjected to summary executions, arson, and sectarian slurs, their bodies later piled into two mass graves.
The attacks have raised urgent questions about whether Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, can protect minority groups under his new regime.
Background: Retaliation Sparks Bloodshed
The violence erupted on March 6, when Assad loyalists ambushed and killed a group of government forces—the bloodiest attack since Assad was toppled last December.
In response, Islamist forces launched reprisal attacks in Latakia and Tartus provinces, targeting Alawite villages they claimed harbored pro-Assad factions.
While the government has since blamed “rogue elements” for the mass killings, President al-Sharaa’s credibility is being tested. He has established a fact-finding committee but has yet to take direct action against the perpetrators.
Survivors Speak: “They Called Us Alawite Dogs”
Eyewitness Accounts of the Massacre
1. A Family Torn Apart
One survivor told CNN that on March 7, fighters stormed her home three times before executing her father and two brothers.
“My father was a 75-year-old retired teacher… they shot him in the head. My brother was shot in the heart.”
Her other brother, injured but pretending to be dead, tried to escape by nightfall. He was shot six times as he limped through the fields.
A gunman then pointed his weapon at her grieving mother and sneered:
“You Alawite dog.”
2. Executions in the Streets
Another local woman described how her husband was dragged from their home and executed alongside several other men in a ditch.
A male survivor recounted trying to reason with the attackers to spare his brother, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
“I did not run away. I confronted them, and they shot at the ground to intimidate me.”
“God’s will saved me. But no one listened when I begged for my brother’s life.”
3. A Rare Act of Mercy
One woman said she was saved by a fighter from Idlib, even though another fighter from Idlib had killed her family.
“The man who killed my family was from Idlib. The man who saved me was also from Idlib.”
Social Media & Open-Source Investigations
Identifying the Killers
CNN analyzed social media footage and identified at least two of the fighters involved:
- The masked militant who filmed himself chanting about ethnic cleansing was identified through facial features, clothing, and Facebook activity.
- Another fighter, a bearded man with red hair, appeared in multiple videos taken at different locations in Pine Village.
CNN attempted to contact the main suspect on Facebook, but no response was received.
Chilling Video Evidence
In one clip, a militant is seen dragging an unarmed man—identified as Yazan Mostafa—to his execution.
In another, a group of fighters sing while standing over piles of bodies:
“We’ve come to you. We’ve come to you with the taste of death.”
CNN verified the exact location using satellite images of pine trees, utility poles, and roads.
The Mass Graves: A Village Buried in Fear
For three days, bodies lay uncollected as fighters blocked survivors from burying their dead.
On March 10, locals were finally allowed to retrieve the bodies, under armed supervision.
Shocking Discoveries
- Videos captured at least 42 bodies wrapped in shrouds dumped along a roadside.
- Another video showed 29 corpses in a shallow grave, with an excavator covering them with soil.
- CNN confirmed the graves’ locations using satellite imagery, matching it against aerial photographs from Airbus and Maxar.
Satellite Evidence
- March 11: Airbus imagery revealed freshly disturbed earth near the village shrine.
- March 14: Maxar imagery showed a 26×16 meter mass grave site.
A survivor whose father and brothers were buried in the mass grave vowed to give them a proper religious burial—if she ever feels safe enough to return.
“Without a doubt, we will bury them with dignity. But we are too afraid to go back.”
A Nation on Edge
As the Syrian government struggles to maintain control, the violence in Pine Village is a grim reminder of deep sectarian wounds that remain unhealed.
With no justice in sight, families continue to flee, leaving behind a homeland drenched in fear, grief, and bloodshed.
CNN continues to reach out to the Syrian government for comment on the Pine Village massacre.
