Reuters verified 1,479 Alawite deaths including women, children, elderly from Sunni militias tied to Damascus leaders. Fighters from ex-HTS Unit 400, Othman Brigade, General Security Service killed nearly 900 Alawites at 10 sites. Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade, Hamza division, Jaysh al-Islam participated in slaughters despite sanctions for abuses. Attackers mutilated bodies by cutting out hearts, gouging eyes, forcing men to howl like dogs. Entire families wiped out with 45 women among 253 dead in one neighborhood, 10 children among 30 in another village. Pro-Assad uprising killed 200 government forces prompting orders to crush ''fuloul'' interpreted as all Alawites. Fighters chanted ''slaughter the Alawites'' and left graffiti like ''Sunni men passed through here. We came to shed your blood.'' Command chain ran through Defense Ministry Telegram chat led by spokesman Abdel-Ghani coordinating massacres. Government promoted massacre commanders like Unit 400 leader to general overseeing coast. Alawite villages emptied with residents fleeing to Russian base fearing ongoing killings. Twenty more Alawites gunned down May-June with no charges filed. Sunni neighbors sometimes protected Alawites from government fighters. One village fully replaced by Sunnis after total expulsion. Attackers asked first ''Are you Sunni or Alawite?'' before killing. No death certificates issued to many Alawite victims. Government admits 350 deaths in Tartous but claims no sectarian targeting.