Thirteen Alawite civilians killed in Homs, Syria
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Syrian security forces and affiliated paramilitary groups were responsible for the execution of at least seven Alawites.
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Syrian government security forces and civilians gather to commemorate the seventh anniversary of a chemical attack in Douma, in the eastern Ghouta region, near the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, on April 7, 2025. (AP)
Thirteen civilians from the Alawite community were killed over the past 24 hours in various areas of Homs, central Syria. Seven were victims of summary execution by Syrian security forces and allied paramilitary groups, according to reports.
The killings are part of a broader wave of arrests, torture, and extrajudicial executions taking place in Syria since the new Syrian regime took power. No official statement has been issued by the Damascus government, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Security forces conduct raids, executions
The Wadi al-Dhahab neighborhood in Homs has seen heightened security following recent incidents. Local sources told Al Mayadeen that General Security forces carried out a large-scale raid in the neighborhood, resulting in the arrest of dozens of young Alawite men.
Later, the bodies of some detainees were discovered in city hospitals, bearing signs of execution by gunfire, the sources added.
Sectarian clashes, Bedouin attacks
According to the same local sources, armed Bedouin groups launched a sectarian-motivated attack on Wadi al-Dhahab on Friday evening. The assault was repelled by General Security forces.
SOHR also reported a separate incident on Thursday, where a clash occurred between a General Security patrol and a former air force colonel from the Syrian regime after an attempt to arrest him. The officer reportedly detonated a grenade, killing one officer and injuring others, before he was killed.
Read more: 21K+ flee Syria violence, Lebanese delegation Damascus visit postponed
Protests erupt on Damascus International Airport Road
In a related development, protests broke out on Friday evening in Jaramana, where demonstrators blocked the Damascus International Airport road. The protests followed an armed assault earlier that day on the Damascus–Sweida highway, which resulted in one death.
Local sources told Al Mayadeen that unknown gunmen attacked civilians from Sweida in the al-Matlaa area near the highway, detaining three individuals. The motives behind the attack and detentions remain unclear, according to SOHR.
In another incident, gunmen from al-Matlaa opened fire on a car traveling along the Damascus–Sweida road. Of the two people in the vehicle, one was killed and the other critically wounded.
To address the escalating tensions, General Security forces were deployed along the Damascus–Sweida road. The airport road near Jaramana was reopened after being temporarily closed by protesters.
Assault on al-Ash al-Warwar Neighborhood Committee
Additionally, four members of the al-Ash al-Warwar neighborhood committee in Damascus were killed when armed assailants stormed their council and opened fire indiscriminately, local Syrian sources confirmed.
Read more: Pro-government groups committed war crimes in Syrian coast: Amnesty
