Assad’s regime is semi-secular.
It depends on the loyalty of the Alawite sect.
Which isn’t at all strict, religiously. Its a bit difficult to pin down exactly what they believe in. They don’t prosletyze and keep to themselves.
They count as honorary Shiites as far as Iran is concerned, but I don’t think they have much in common with them.
Assad is running out of soldiers, so this is not surprising.
1/3 of 250,000 Alawite men of fighting age are dead.