New satellite images seemingly show hundreds of refugees seeking shelter at a Russian air base in Syria. The images from Maxar Technologies, obtained by defence news site The War Zone, show scores of people and shelters surrounded by what’s believed to be a perimeter of armoured vehicles at the Khmeimim Air Base on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
The outlet reports that members of the Alawite minority began flocking to the Russian base after hundreds of people were reportedly executed by Syrian security forces. Fighting broke out last week after forces loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad attacked Syrian government troops. This led to reported revenge killings of Alawite people, a sect to which Assad belongs.
A war monitoring group said the violence is some of the deadliest since Syria’s conflict started 14 years ago.
Hundreds are now believed to be sheltering in the small commercial terminal of the Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia province, a former stronghold of Assad.
The satellite images shared by The War Zone were taken on Monday and show hundreds of vehicles on the road leading up to the terminal.
On Monday, the Syrian defence ministry said the operation against the Assad loyalists had finished.
According to the BBC, a monitoring group said more than 1,500 people have been killed since Thursday, including 1,068 civilians.
Syrian leader Ahmed al Sharaa called for peace on Sunday, saying: “We have to preserve national unity and domestic peace, we can live together.”
The Assad regime collapsed in December, and he fled to Moscow.
Russia has been withdrawing military equipment and troops from Syria since the ousting of Assad but continues to operate the Khmeimim Air Base.
On Monday, the UK urged Syria’s interim government to guarantee the safety of all Syrians following “horrific” reports of the large numbers of civilian deaths.