RIO DE JANEIRO, April 29. /TASS/. BRICS foreign ministers condemned killings of civilians during protests in the Syrian provinces of Latakia and Tartus, according to a statement following a ministerial meeting in Rio de Janeiro.
"They condemned the widespread violence perpetrated in Syria’s Latakia and Tartus provinces since 6 March, including mass killings of civilians among the Alawite community," the statement said.
On March 6, clashes broke out in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus and Homs between members of the security forces of Syria’s transitional government and supporters of former President Bashar Assad. The fiercest fighting took place in the town of Jebla inhabited by Alawites, the ethnic and religious minority whose members were Assad and his family. About 1,500 people have been killed following days of fighting.