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Syria's President Ahmad al-Sharaa announced on Sunday the formation of an independent committee to investigate a surge in killings along the Syrian coast, which have heightened fears of a return to civil war.

The committee will probe violations and attacks against civilians, working to identify those responsible for the recent violence.

According to a statement from the presidency, the committee has been granted full authority to question individuals and will be required to submit its findings within 30 days. Those found guilty will be referred to court, the statement added.

The violence erupted last week following clashes between Syrian security forces and loyalists of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, over 1,018 people have been killed so far, including 745 civilians.

The clashes have largely taken place in the coastal heartland of Syria’s Alawite minority, to which Assad belongs, and have escalated into what some are describing as sectarian violence. Experts suggest that insurgents are attempting to exploit sectarian tensions in an effort to rally Alawites to their cause and destabilise the new government.

In response, Syria’s Ministry of Interior described the violence as the work of an "undisciplined military group that committed violations against unarmed civilians." The ministry said the army was closing roads leading to the coast and sending people not assigned to military duties back from the frontlines.

The ministry also announced plans to deploy additional security convoys to protect civilians along the coast, while the Ministry of Defence pledged that those responsible for the killings would be tried in military court.

The violence has drawn condemnation from international bodies. The UN’s human rights chief Volker Turk described the killings as "extremely disturbing," calling for a full investigation and accountability for those responsible.

"There are reports of summary executions on a sectarian basis by unidentified perpetrators, by members of the caretaker authorities' security forces, as well as by elements associated with the former government," Turk said on Sunday.

The World Health Organisation's chief also expressed concern, warning that the violence was directly impacting public health. Health facilities and ambulances have reportedly been damaged in the clashes, further straining Syria’s fragile healthcare system.

The hostilities have been described as the most intense fighting since Assad’s ouster on 8 December. The renewed violence has also triggered a fresh wave of displacement, with thousands of Syrians fleeing into northern Lebanon.

Many have sought refuge in Akkar, Lebanon’s northernmost governorate bordering Syria, raising concerns that the influx could reignite sectarian tensions.

Akkar and Tripoli are predominantly Sunni with a sizable Alawite minority and have a history of clashes between anti- and pro-Assad groups.