Washington, March 10 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned the recent killings in western Syria, stating in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days. The United States stands with Syria's religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families. Syria's interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria's minority communities accountable."

The violence erupted in Syria's coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, where security forces clashed with fighters loyal to oust...