Networks of foreign accounts ‘spreading sectarian hate’ in Syria

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12 May 2025

An investigative report by BBC Arabic has uncovered a coordinated network of foreign-based accounts operating on  X aimed at spreading disinformation and inciting sectarian tensions in Syria following the collapse of the Assad regime

According to the report, the networks are systematically managed and are part of organised digital campaigns targeting the new Syrian government and religious minority communities. The BBC team analysed over two million posts related to Syrian events, with a detailed sample of 400,000 posts on X.

The investigation revealed widespread patterns of disinformation, including the dissemination of false claims, the recycling of outdated content, and the use of fake accounts for propaganda purposes.

More than 60% of the accounts sharing misleading content were located outside Syria, with activity concentrated in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran. One example cited was a false claim on 9 March about the execution of a priest at Mar Elias Church in Idlib – an allegation that the church later denied.

Fake accounts were also found circulating unrelated old videos, including a 2013 clip that was falsely presented as showing the destruction of a statue of the Virgin Mary by extremist factions. That video, the BBC said, was widely shared by accounts primarily active in Iraq.

The investigation identified further signs of coordinated manipulation, including simultaneous posting, scheduled repetition of identical content, and usernames with numerical sequences such as “Qasef 1, 2, 3,” suggesting the use of automated bots in systematic propaganda efforts.

Although many of the networks were focused on anti-government narratives, the BBC also documented large-scale online activity supporting Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

Over 80,000 such posts, primarily originating from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, employed similar tactics, including formulaic repetition and the amplification of the president’s image as a “reformist leader” through nearly identical or slightly altered language.

The investigation also found evidence of targeted sectarian incitement against the Alawite community. Over 100,000 inflammatory posts were recorded in recent months, most from accounts based in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

These posts included derogatory language such as “infidels”, “Alawite clique”, “criminals” and “gangs” with some messages openly calling for “killing”.

According to the report, the accounts responsible for this content exhibited identical posting patterns and vocabulary, often publishing similar posts in quick succession to flood X with hate speech.

Source: thenewarab