**ISTANBUL**
The US condemned the recent killings of religious and ethnic minorities in western Syria, calling for accountability from the country’s authorities.
"The United States condemns the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, that murdered people in western Syria in recent days,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday in a statement posted on X.
"The United States stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families," he added.
He urged Syria’s leadership to take action.
"Syria’s interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria’s minority communities accountable."
The attacks, which have yet to be claimed by any group, add to the ongoing sectarian violence in Syria, where religious minorities have been frequently targeted.
The US has expressed concern over the growing influence of radical groups in the region, particularly those with foreign fighters.
Rubio, a longtime critic of US inaction in Syria, has previously pushed for stronger measures to protect vulnerable communities in the war-torn country.
[Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. **Please contact us for subscription options.**](https://www.aa.com.tr/en/p/subscription/1001)