Nepal, March 8 -- A Syria war monitor reported on Saturday that government and allied forces killed more than 300 civilians from the Alawite minority in recent days, as authorities clash with militants loyal to ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

The clashes that broke out on Thursday were the fiercest since Assad -- himself an Alawite -- was toppled in a lightning rebel offensive in December, and came after days of tensions in Latakia province that forms part of the heartland of the religious minority.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Saturday that "340 Alawite civilians were killed in the coastal regions of Syria and the Latakia mountains by security forces and allied groups" since then.

The Britain-based Observatory...