The wounds left by the bloody attacks on the Syrian coast last March had barely begun to heal when new horrors emerged, stirring fears among local women of facing the same fate as the Iraqi Yazidi women who fell victim to ISIS nearly a decade ago.

Dozens of Alawite Syrian women and girls have recently been kidnapped, and many cases were documented in the provinces of Latakia, Tartous, Hama, and Homs. Their relatives call on the public and security services via near-daily videos to reveal the fate of the victims.

This has become a major source of concern, clearly reflected in educational and community life. According to local sources, the highest rate of absence from university in years has been recorded among girls living in suburban or rural areas. Furthermore, there has been a near-total absence of women's movement after sunset in these areas.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented the kidnapping of more than 50 Alawite women, whose fate remains unknown after they disappeared under mysterious circumstances since the beginning of this year.

According to the Observatory, these women were abducted under various circumstances. Some went missing during the bloody events of March; others were abducted while on their way to work or on their daily commutes, at various times, most of them in broad daylight.

The Observatory confirmed that many families prefer not to report their daughters' disappearance for fear of social stigma or losing hope of their return.

Documented cases, painful testimonies

Dareen Suleiman's children repeatedly ask their grandmother, "Why hasn't Mommy come home yet?" The grandmother is at a loss for words; it's been over a month since her daughters, Dareen and Areen, were abducted in broad daylight in Masyaf. A recent video surfaced showing the two women; Dareen stated they were safe but also mentioned her husband's refusal to negotiate with the kidnappers, expressing hope for a swift reunion with their families.

"I swear if I see a picture of her on social media, I will send you her blood." This is the last message received from the phone of 17-year-old Zainab al-Zikra to her family, who said she was kidnapped on her way to school in the village of al-Hanadi in the Latakia countryside. The family received a single call from her, in which she said she was "suffering from stomach pains and didn't know where she was." Contact with her has since been lost.

Related News

Millions of Syrians are at risk of water, food insecurity this year

Shattered lives and broken homes echo the vanishing women of Lebanon

Sarah Hamoud reported her mother, Mrs. Atab Jadid, missing to the Tartous Public Prosecutor. Mrs. Jadid was last seen on the seafront at 8 pm in mid-May. Despite her failing health, Mrs. Jadid's mother appeared in a video pleading for information about her daughter's whereabouts. The police are investigating, but so far, there are no leads.

With great anticipation, Nagham Issa, a young woman from Khirbet al-Hamam village, went to the doctor to learn the sex of her unborn baby. The last anyone heard from her was before she entered the clinic. Her kidnappers contacted her family, demanding a $5,000 ransom. The family, struggling financially, tried desperately to raise the money, but it was too late. Days later, Nagham's body was discovered abandoned by the roadside.

A deeply moving video of Ms. Mai Salloum's three children has gone viral, in which they plead with the relevant authorities to return their mother, who disappeared on the evening of June 21 in Latakia. A few days later, a new video of Ms. Salloum emerged. Wearing a hijab, she claimed to have moved to Aleppo to live with a friend. She added that she had contacted her family, who denied this in a statement, confirming that "the family has not received any contact from her since her disappearance."

They explained that "there are no family disputes that would have prompted Ms. Salloum to leave her home. She is known for her love for her children, and it is inconceivable that she would abandon them of her own free will." The family concluded their statement by saying, "We are certain that our daughter is being forcibly detained and was forced to record this video under threat and psychological pressure. Please do not leave us alone. Help us secure our daughter's release."

I saw her in Idlib, and I couldn't talk to her or do anything

While the issue of kidnapping women from the coast continues to grow vaguer amid a lack of information, feminist activist Heba Ezz el-Din revealed a shocking revelation when she spoke about an incident she witnessed during her recent visit to her hometown of Idlib.

In a since-deleted post, Heba described visiting a village in Idlib with her brother. There, they saw a man known for having multiple wives, accompanied by a woman Heba didn't recognize. The woman seemed disoriented, wearing her hijab in an unusual manner, prompting Heba to wonder about her identity and past.

The feminist activist learned that the woman is from Syria's coastal region and survived last March's massacres there. The activist was told the woman's husband brought her to the village and married her, but details about this "marriage" are scarce. The activist added that the young woman is too frightened to speak, and no one knows anything about her past.

What surprised Ezz el-Din was that she hadn't heard of any marriages between men from Idlib and women from the coast, at least in recent years. This prompted her to search and ask among her friends and acquaintances of activists, revolutionaries, and human rights activists. A number of them confirmed to her that "the kidnapping of women from the coast was indeed carried out by various factions," with the finger of blame pointed at some factions of the National Army, as well as foreign fighters, with varying motives.

Government officials are denying the allegations, while a UN committee is conducting an investigation.

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria told Reuters it is investigating cases of disappearance and abduction of Alawite women after a surge in reports this year. A spokesperson for the commission, which was established in 2011 to investigate human rights violations, confirmed that it will submit its report to the UN Human Rights Council once the investigations are complete. Commission chair Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro stated in a presentation to the Human Rights Council that the commission documented the abduction of at least six Alawite women this spring by unknown assailants in several Syrian governorates. He added that the whereabouts of at least two of these women remain unknown, adding that the commission has received credible reports of further abduction

The Syrian government has yet to officially comment on this issue. However, Ahmed Mohammed Khair, the director of media relations in Tartous Governorate, denied to Reuters the allegations of women being kidnapped, saying, "Most cases of women's disappearance are caused by family disputes or personal reasons, not kidnappings," without providing any evidence to support his claims. He added, "These allegations, circulating without verification, only contribute to spreading panic, sowing discord, and attempting to destabilize security and stability." The director of media relations in Latakia Governorate echoed Khair's statement, claiming that women often elope with men they are romantically involved with, and families fabricate kidnapping stories to avoid social stigma.