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Masked gunmen target Syria's Christian and Alawite communities in wave of killings
A spate of drive-by shootings by unidentified assailants on motorbikes has left Syria's religious minorities on edge, with Christians and Alawites increasingly targeted in what survivors and families describe as a campaign of sectarian violence. The latest attacks, including the October 1 killing of two Christian cousins in Wadi al-Nasara and the September 28 murder of an Alawite shopkeeper in Homs, underscore the fragile security gripping parts of the country nearly a year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Christian cousins gunned down in 'Valley of the Christians'
Wissam and Shafiq Mansour, both 39, were fatally shot on October 1 while socializing with a friend in the village of Anaz, located in Homs province's Wadi al-Nasara-known as the "Valley of the Christians." Locals reported the gunman arrived from a nearby Sunni Muslim village, firing indiscriminately before fleeing. Wissam, a former member of a pro-Assad militia, had defended his community during the war, a detail some residents believe motivated the attack.
At Wissam's funeral, his father, George, condemned authorities for disarming Christian villagers while leaving neighboring Sunni communities armed. "They took our guns but left theirs," he said. "We demand the right to defend ourselves. Today it's Wissam-tomorrow it could be any of us." The attack has deepened fears among the valley's Christians, many of whom had aligned with Assad's regime for protection during the conflict.
"We all returned home hoping to rebuild, but the promises of security and a future for Syria are nowhere to be seen. My closest friends are dead. I'll have to leave again-there are too many extremists, and no one knows where this country is headed."
Unnamed survivor of the Anaz attack, 36
Alawites face systematic killings in Homs
In Homs, a city scarred by war and now plagued by near-daily kidnappings and shootings, Alawites-once privileged under Assad's rule-have become prime targets. On September 28, Shaaban Al Ezzeldin, a 46-year-old shopkeeper, was shot three times outside his family's business, which had operated since 1970. His brother, Adnan, described the killing as purely sectarian: "He was loved by everyone-Sunni, Christian, it didn't matter. He never harmed anyone."
Adnan linked the attack to the removal of a nearby security checkpoint, a move he believes left Alawites exposed. "What's happening is a strategy to force us out," he said. "They're sowing division where we've lived together for centuries." The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) estimates at least 40 Alawites were killed in Homs between June 5 and October 31, including a student, a farmer, and a teacher ambushed on a school bus. Most victims were former regime affiliates or suspected collaborators.
'Forced emigration' fears grow
Families like the Ezzeldins are grappling with impossible choices. "If we're all going to be killed, it's better to flee," Adnan said. His sentiment echoes across Homs, where Alawite residents report selling homes and leaving en masse. The SNHR warns the killings-often unresolved-are designed to destabilize Syria's diverse social fabric, with Sunni-majority areas largely spared similar violence.
A 14-year-old's death shatters a family
Ghina, a 14-year-old Alawite girl, was fatally shot on her family's balcony in Homs on August 19 by a motorbike-borne gunman. Her mother, who cradled her as she died, described Ghina as "the best of daughters-brilliant, kind, full of dreams." The teenager had just celebrated her exam results with neighbors when the attack occurred. "She loved life, basketball, and wanted to study law," her mother said, surrounded by Ghina's schoolbooks and a framed photo. "Now her brothers won't even go to school. We're terrified of motorbikes."
"Her soul is still here. Friends visit, but no one can believe she's gone. They're pushing us out-first with fear, then with bullets."
Mother of Ghina, 14, Homs
Government pledges fall short
Syria's interim government, led by Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais, has vowed to prosecute perpetrators of sectarian violence, including the March mass executions of over 1,400 Alawites and the July killings of 2,000 mostly Druze civilians. Yet families of recent victims say investigations stall, and impunity prevails. "No one's been charged for Ghina's murder," her mother said. "They call it liberation, but we've never been less free."
With no arrests in the Valley of the Christians killings or Ghina's case, and Alawite families burying loved ones in silence, Syria's post-Assad era risks mirroring the brutality of its war-this time, with minorities as the primary casualties.
