The Syrian Network for Human Rights said its annual report for 2025 documented the killing of 3,338 people across Syria, including 328 children, 312 women and 32 individuals who died under torture, despite the country entering a transitional phase after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. The 20-page report, released Dec. 29, described 2025 as one of the most complex years in security terms, marked by shifting control, lingering violence and widespread remnants of war.
According to SNHR, the figures reflect deaths recorded throughout the year, including cases where victims were wounded in earlier years and later died, with documentation completed in 2025. The organization said it took into account the “radical change” in power dynamics following Dec. 8, 2024.
December Toll Indicative of Ongoing Risks
In December alone, SNHR documented the killing of 80 civilians, including 11 children and eight women, as well as two victims who died due to torture. The network attributed the deaths to a range of parties and causes, including direct killings, explosions of unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war.
The report said one woman and one civil defense worker were killed as a result of actions linked to remnants of the Assad regime, including a cluster munition explosion. It also recorded 10 civilian deaths caused by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), one child killed by international coalition forces and 14 civilians killed by Israeli forces.
In addition, two people died under torture at the hands of local armed groups outside state control, while 51 civilians were killed by unidentified parties. SNHR reported that Damascus countryside and Hama governorates accounted for the highest share of December deaths, each at about 18%.
Patterns of Violence and Responsibility
For the full year, SNHR said the 3,338 documented deaths were distributed among multiple actors. The report recorded over 70 civilians were tortured to death, including children, women and detainees who died under torture. Assad regime remnants killed 14 civilians, including nine children, and one member of the civil defense.
The SDF killed 73 civilians, including 15 children, 14 women and 12 men, while the Syrian National Army (SNA) killed five civilians, including two children and a woman, while the international coalition killed two civilians, including a child.
Larger spikes included 889 deaths during unrest along the coast in March and 374 deaths during violence in Suwayda in July. SNHR attributed 1,365 killings to unidentified parties. Geographically, Latakia governorate accounted for about 19.32% of the total death toll, followed by Suwayda at 13.33%, Hama at 11.92% and Tartus at 11.27%, according to the report.
Attacks on Civilian Life
SNHR said it recorded at least 65 attacks on vital civilian centers in 2025, including schools, medical facilities and places of worship. The organization concluded that most attacks directly targeted civilians or civilian objects and warned that land mines and unexploded ordnance remain a leading cause of death, particularly among children.
The report said continued killings after the change in authority highlight the fragility of the transitional period and the need for security reform grounded in international human rights law. SNHR urged Syrian authorities to cooperate with international investigative mechanisms, protect evidence and adopt a comprehensive approach to transitional justice, while calling on armed actors and humanitarian organizations to strengthen civilian protection and mine clearance efforts.
