More than 8,000 Syrians took refuge at Russia’s Hmeimim airbase following sectarian violence this month, and the transitional Syrian government is now working to convince those still there that it is safe to return home.

Amjad Sultan, the mayor of the coastal town of Jableh, which lies about two miles southwest of Hmeimim, went to the base to reassure citizens there that it is safe to return to their homes, pointing to reports that some have already gone back.

"The visit included an explanation of the steps being taken by the government to ensure security in the area and to provide basic necessities to guarantee the return of citizens to their homes,” reported SANA.

What happened: A group of Syrians, many of them Alawites, fled to the base following the sectarian killings targeting their community that began on March 6, according to local reports. After the transitional government reported its forces had been ambushed in and around Jableh by militias that support ousted President Bashar al-Assad, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that at least 830 civilians, predominantly Alawites, were killed in addition to 231 members of the state security forces and 250 fighters from pro-Assad militias.