Following the armed coup, HTS set up a transitional authority in Syria, whose elements have been waging a violent campaign against the Alawite community and other minority groups. Extrajudicial killings and kidnappings have become the norm in several regions.

Sources recently disclosed to The Cradle that Sharaa is well-informed about the massacres and killings of Alawite and Shia citizens. One source reported that Sharaa told him point blank that he considers this violence to be a legitimate act of revenge that will go unchecked for the foreseeable future. “This (the killings) is normal and may continue for two or three years," Sharaa reportedly said.