Syrian refugees are fleeing to Lebanon to escape sectarian killing targeting the Alawite community. More than 350 families have made the journey in recent days, with reports of entire families being killed in the violence. The violence began in Syria's coastal region, home to many Alawites, when the Sunni Islamist-led government claimed its forces were attacked by remnants of the regime of Bashar Assad. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that over 1,200 civilians, mostly Alawites, have been killed in the violence.