How the rebels treat the sizeable Alawite population, will be some kind of litmus test of whether the takeover of Damascus leads to violent revenge against former Assad loyalists

Amid an outcry for justice and accountability and threats online, a once-dominant group is feeling deep anxiety after the ouster of Syria’s dictator.

The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule.

Families of military officers who served under Syria's ousted Bashar al-Assad are being evicted from their subsidised housing at a compound outside Damascus to make way for victorious former rebels and their families,