The central Syrian city of Homs witnessed a surge in violence on Sunday, after armed men from the Bani Khalid tribe attacked neighbourhoods largely populated by members of the Alawite community. Houses, cars and other private property were set alight, prompting fears that the unrest could escalate into broader communal clashes and plunge the wider region into a cycle of retaliatory violence. The events underscored the urgent need to restore the rule of law and accelerate transitional justice to prevent further security deterioration.
The flare-up comes at a highly sensitive moment in Syria’s political transition. After years of war, delayed accountability, and the proliferation of armed actors, many observers see the violence in Homs as a stark warning – one that threatens the fabric of civil peace and undermines national cohesion. It has renewed anxieties about a return to sectarian fragmentation, eroding the sense of shared citizenship that should transcend tribal, sectarian or regional identities.
The latest unrest began after a man and his wife – both from the Bani Khalid tribe – were killed in the nearby town of Zaidal. The woman’s body was partially burnt, and sectarian slurs were reportedly written on the walls. In response, armed individuals from the tribe launched attacks across several southern districts of Homs, including al-Muhajireen, al-Zahraa, al-Abbassiya, Al-Arman, al-Nuzha, and Akrama, torching homes and targeting civilian property.
The Health Directorate in Homs confirmed that hospitals had received 18 people injured during the violence, mostly because of gunfire. A statement by the Directorate said most cases were stable, with one in critical condition. Noor al-Din al-Baba, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry in the Syrian Transitional Government, condemned the Zaidal killings as a “compound crime” aimed at igniting sectarian hatred, vowing that security forces would act decisively to prevent further disorder. Local police urged residents to avoid being drawn into incitement and to support state efforts to preserve public order.
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On Monday, the Internal Security Directorate extended a curfew in several neighbourhoods until 5pm, covering the districts most affected by the violence as well as Zaidal itself. Local authorities said the measure was intended to stabilise the situation and ensure ongoing field investigations could be completed safely.
An emergency meeting was convened late on Sunday by provincial officials and senior defence representatives to contain the situation. According to a statement, the discussions centred on measures to restore stability and prevent further unrest. Tribal figures, religious leaders and security officials were in attendance.
UN concern rapidly followed. Najat Rochdi, Deputy UN Special Envoy for Syria, said she was closely following the “alarming developments” in Homs, including reports of attacks on civilians and their property. She called for an immediate restoration of calm, protection of civilians, respect for the rule of law and accountability for perpetrators.
International relations scholar Tarek Wehbe argues that the recurrence of violence with sectarian overtones in places such as Homs and Hama is rooted in economic decline, rising poverty, social fragmentation and the absence of transitional justice. He warns that online incitement is fuelling tensions between local communities already traumatised by war, while weak judicial institutions and widespread corruption allow criminality to flourish unchecked.
Wehbe, in a statement to +963, emphasises that lessons must be drawn from the Assad-era security model, which relied on repression and covert sectarian manipulation. He describes the current environment as one marked by a security vacuum, widespread illegal weapons, and an over-stretched judiciary – all of which risk transforming local disputes into broader conflicts.
He argues that decentralised local administration could help reduce friction, while coordinated disarmament campaigns, legal reforms governing weapons possession, and punitive sanctions for violations would be essential to re-establish state authority. At the same time, he stresses the importance of community-led reconciliation, religious and civic outreach, and strengthened policing and judicial institutions to prevent escalation.
The Alawite Supreme Islamic Council, representing the community in Syria and the diaspora, issued a statement on Monday saying Alawite neighbourhoods in Homs had been attacked and that civilians had been terrorised through gunfire, arson and vandalism. It appealed to the UN and the Security Council for immediate intervention and called for an independent investigative mission.
Such incidents have become increasingly frequent across rural Homs and Hama in recent months, often taking the form of sectarian or revenge attacks. Last week, +963 correspondent reported that unidentified gunmen opened fire in a café in Um Hartin in western Homs, killing two men and injuring others. In October, three young men were shot in the Christian-majority Wadi al-Nasara region; two were killed instantly and the third later died in hospital.
Observers fear that without swift action to restore genuine civic security, strengthen transitional justice, and address underlying socio-economic grievances, localised attacks could evolve into wider communal violence.
