Homs Province Attack Deepens Fears Amid Ongoing Violence in Syria

Image: Jihad Watch

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the city of Homs was gripped by panic after a sudden armed assault targeted civilian homes. According to local sources, unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on residential balconies along Beit Al-Tawil Street in the Wadi Al-Zahab neighborhood, a densely populated district of Homs.

The brazen attack resulted in the tragic death of a young girl, while a young man belonging to the Alawite community was left wounded. The assailants, who carried out the assault with speed and precision, managed to escape before security forces could intervene. The incident has heightened a growing sense of insecurity among residents of the city, already weary from years of violence and sectarian-driven attacks.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported a significant rise in killings and retaliatory assassinations across the country in 2025. Since the beginning of the year, at least 957 people have been killed in murder crimes and targeted eliminations. These deaths include 30 women and 21 children, underscoring the heavy civilian toll. Many of these crimes are believed to have sectarian motives, reflecting the deep divisions that continue to fuel bloodshed in Syria.

A regional breakdown of the fatalities recorded this year reveals alarming figures:

• Damascus: 45 deaths, including one woman; 25 victims were killed on the basis of sectarian affiliation.

• Rif Dimashq: 88 deaths, including two women; 17 were targeted due to sectarian identity.

• Homs: 321 deaths, including 17 women and eight children; 194 of these killings were sectarian-related.

• Hama: 189 deaths, including five women and four children; 120 were sectarian-based killings.

• Latakia: 94 deaths, including four women and six children; 73 were killed for sectarian reasons.

• Aleppo: 78 deaths, three of which were sectarian-motivated.

• Tartus: 69 deaths, including one woman and one child; 29 of the victims were targeted for sectarian reasons.

Homs, in particular, stands out as the bloodiest province this year, accounting for nearly a third of all killings. The high proportion of sectarian-linked fatalities there highlights the continued volatility of the region, where fragile coexistence is repeatedly threatened by targeted violence.

The latest shooting in Wadi Al-Zahab not only adds to the province’s rising death toll but also raises fears of escalating sectarian reprisals. For many Syrians, particularly vulnerable communities, the attack serves as a grim reminder that the conflict’s most devastating legacy—cycles of revenge and targeted killings—remains far from over.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)