Wave of Violence: 13 Murdered in Shia Villages During HTS Raids in Homs

By Staff, Agencies

At least 13 people were killed in Shia-populated villages in Syria’s Homs Province during raids carried out by forces linked to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] administration and local gunmen.

On Thursday, the UK-based so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights [SOHR] reported a "large-scale security campaign" conducted by the Military Operations Administration and local gunmen in western Homs Province.

In the villages of al-Ghozaylah al-Gharbiyah and al-Hamam, four civilians were executed extrajudicially, while ten others were injured and five arrested during the raids.

The same day, five individuals were detained in al-Kanisah Village. In Tarin Village, three more were arrested, and three others were injured due to indiscriminate gunfire.

Additionally, 27 people were detained in Kafrnan Village, where injuries were also reported. SOHR documented multiple instances of abuse, including locals being forced to mimic animal sounds, and the destruction of tombstones.

Later, SOHR reported the extrajudicial killing of a man in Tasnin Village, northern Homs, after his home was raided by unidentified gunmen. Four bodies were recovered in al-Shinyah Village, northwest of Homs.

In another incident, unknown gunmen killed four people and injured two others east of Maryamin Village after they refused to remove photos of their religious figures.

On Tuesday, a separate campaign in al-Ghor al-Gharbiya Village, primarily inhabited by Shia residents, led to the deaths of six individuals. The HTS administration targeted remnants of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in the area.

Over the past days, HTS forces have intensified operations against alleged “wanted and armed individuals” refusing to surrender or comply with settlement terms.

SOHR has documented “83 retaliatory operations” across various Syrian provinces in 2025, resulting in 166 deaths, including five women, primarily targeting individuals based on sectarian affiliation.

Despite the escalating violence, the HTS administration has claimed to uphold the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.

The raids come weeks after HTS militants and other factions seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024, forcing former President Bashar al-Assad to leave the country.