 Alawites are often considered a form of Shia Islam, that differs somewhat from the larger Twelver Shia sect.During the 20th century, an Islamic uprising in Syria occurred with sectarian religious overtones between the Alawite-dominated Assad government and the Islamist Sunni Muslim Brotherhood, culminating with the 1982 Hama massacre.An estimated 10,000 to 40,000 Syrians, mostly civilians, were killed by Syrian military in the city.