Syria's new authorities under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa have sought to disband armed groups
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor has reported that 745 Alawite civilians were killed in Latakia and Tartus provinces.
Syrian authorities said the violence began when remnants loyal to Assad launched a deadly and well-planned attack on their forces on Thursday.
There were no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Sharaa was appointed Wednesday to lead Syria for an unspecified transitional period
No group has claimed the four activists' abduction and they have not been heard from since.
Ankara-backed rebels played a key role in supporting Sharaa's Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which headed a rebel alliance that seized Damascus on December 8, toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
The seismic change in Syria is expected to yield deeper Turkish sway just as a change of US administration is raising questions over how long Washington will keep backing the country's Kurdish-led forces.
Assad fled Syria following a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), more than 13 years after his crackdown on democracy protests precipitated one of the deadliest wars of the century.
France suspends the country's honorary consul in the Turkish port of Bodrum after a television report showed dinghies being sold to migrants from a shop that she owned.
Dozens of Syrian government troops and Islamic State fighters have been killed in fighting around a government-held air base in eastern Syria in a region that is a stronghold for the jihadists, a monitoring group said on Thursday,
US and Nato express concern over reports that Russia is increasing its military presence in Syria.
A Hungarian camerawoman is fired after shocking footage emerged of her intentionally tripping refugees fleeing police near the country's border as she covered the crisis for a local news outlet.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has announced plans that he says will offer a "swift, determined and comprehensive" response to Europe's migrant crisis.
A large dust storm hits western parts of the Middle East, putting dozens of people in hospital and leading to public health warnings.
David Cameron is facing questions over the decision to carry out a drone strike in Syria which killed two British Islamic State jihadists.
The Greek government and the UN refugee agency have brought in extra staff and ships to deal with some 25,000 stranded migrants on the island of Lesbos.
David Cameron will set out details of government plans to resettle more refugees from Syria, as France says it will take 24,000.
Singer and activist Bono has offered support to refugees fleeing their homes by changing the chorus of a U2 song mid-concert to help raise awareness of their plight.
