France condemns Syria violence targeting 'civilians'

France has condemned violence in Syria targeting "civilians because of their faith, and prisoners", as a war monitor said more than 500 Alawites have been killed in recent days.

A French foreign ministry statement called on Syria's new authorities "to ensure that independent investigations can shed light on these crimes, and that the perpetrators are sentenced".

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday reported that 532 Alawite civilians were killed in Syria "by security forces and allied groups".

The Alawites are a religious minority to which toppled president Bashar al-Assad belongs.

The wave of violence targeting them follows a rebel coalition led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seizing power in December. After its victory, HTS had vowed to protect Syria's religious and ethnic minorities.