A group of Syrian activists gathered in Damascus, capital of Syria, on Sunday at a silent vigil to denounce what they said were crimes committed in the last two days against civilians and security personnel in the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous in northwest Syria. They carried placards reading "calls for national unity" and "stop the killing". The United States and Russia have asked the UN Security Council to meet behind closed doors over the escalating violence in Syria. One thousand people have reportedly been killed after two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and armed groups loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad. The demonstrators demanded civilians to be protected in any military actions, and urged the Syrian government to launch a transparent probe into the violence, to stop the bloodletting and assert the need for preserving the integrity and unity of Syria. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the civilians killed in the two days of clashes between security forces and fighters are from the Alawite minority. The organization said fighting began on Thursday after fighters loyal to ousted president al-Assad ambushed security forces. To crush the rebellion, the Observatory said, the Syrian government called reinforcements to converge on the coastal cities. The organization blamed the undisciplined elements among the government forces for the civilian deaths, saying their actions amounted to grave human rights violations. The reported assaults on security forces and the excessive force used in response are seen as the biggest challenges for Syria's new government since it took power in December last year. Shotlist: Damascus, Syria - March 9, 2025: 1. Various of protesters holding placards; 2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Demonstrator (name not given)(partially overlaid with shot 3): "What we are calling for today is peace and stability in Syria, and also to stop any military escalation that might lead to deaths in the ranks of the security forces [who protect this country], or the innocent civilians who are killed at the hands of undisciplined groups."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 3. Various of protesters holding placards, flags; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Demonstrator (name not given): "We sympathize with innocent civilians because they did not carry weapons and did not engage in the fight. So why were they massacred in the coastal areas?"; 5. Various of protesters holding placards, flags. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland/Orient TV/Syria Alshaab TV/Zanoubia TV/Alhurra TV/ANN TV/Al Jazeera/ Al-Arabiya TV]