Aftermath of Homs killings may mark turning point for Syria’s government

The killing of a Bedouin couple just south of Syria’s third largest city Homs threatened to spark another round of sectarian clashes in the country this week.

The couple, found dead on Sunday, were from the prominent Sunni Bani Khaled tribe. On the walls next to their bodies, their apparent murderers had scrawled sectarian slogans.

Homs, a city known for its diverse religious makeup, was on edge. Tribal members mobilised and reportedly began shooting at homes in Alawite-majority neighbourhoods. And on Tuesday, large protests called for by an Alawite religious leader took place in the religious minority’s traditional heartlands in Latakia and Tartous.

But, so far, Syria has avoided another outbreak of sectarian violence, unlike a number of occasions – such as in the coastal areas in March and again in Suwayda in July – in the almost one year since the fall of ex-President Bashar al-Assad. Security forces from the Minister of Interior and Defence deployed to the area and, in tandem with some tribal leaders, calmed the situation. A curfew was imposed by Syrian authorities.

How dangerous is the potential for sectarian violence in Syria? What is the government doing to prevent it? And why are some minority communities in Syria worried about their future?

What was the government’s response to the violence?

The government appears to have acted quickly to ease tensions, particularly after the violent response to the killing from some tribal members in Homs’s Alawite neighbourhoods. No casualties were officially reported, though monitoring groups said there were dozens of injuries.

Government security forces, working alongside tribal leaders, calmed tensions and arrested 120 people involved in the violence.

Reports from the ground indicate that the deployment has had a positive effect in preventing violent clashes, unlike earlier this year in incidents along the Syrian coast and in Suwayda, when groups or tribes reportedly affiliated with the government mobilised and contributed to widespread violence, alongside armed fighters from minority groups.

The new Syrian government has faced criticism internationally for its failure to stop those attacks, even as it announced investigations. With international legitimacy one of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s main priorities, the government has quickly acted to ensure that another round of clashes does not take place.

The Syrian government, whose leadership is from the country’s Sunni Muslim majority, has also sought to cast doubt on whether sectarianism was a motivating factor behind the killing of the Bedouin couple. Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba saying that the sectarian messages found next to the bodies were likely planted “to mislead investigators and incite strife”.

The Homs Internal Security Commander, Brigadier General Marhaf al-Naasan, posted a statement on Facebook, saying that the government “strongly condemns this heinous crime and affirms that its objective is clearly to ignite sectarian rhetoric and sow discord within our community”.

What is the current situation in Homs?

The sectarian tension has not disappeared, but the curfew was lifted by Tuesday morning.

During the Syrian uprising that eventually brought down al-Assad, Homs was described by some activists as the heart of the revolution. Members of its Sunni Muslim community in particular had long complained about oppression from the al-Assad regime, which was led by Alawite.

Homs is still a multifaith and multiethnic city, with Sunni, Alawite and Christian communities.

Since the ouster of al-Assad in December 2024, Alawite in Homs have reported cases of discrimination, violence, and eviction from their homes. After the coastal violence in March, some Alawite fled Syria for villages in Lebanon’s Akkar region.

What has happened elsewhere in Syria since the Homs violence?

The situation in Homs kicked off protests along the coast – known for its large Alawite communities – particularly in Latakia, where hundreds gathered.

Protests took place in Latakia’s Agriculture Roundabout, the al-Azhari Roundabout and al-Hammam Square. There were also sit-ins in the al-Qusur neighborhood in the city of Baniyas, according to Enab Baladi, a Syrian local media outlet.

The cities of Jableh, Qardaha, Safita, Dreikish, Sheikh Badr – all in the Latakia or Tartous regions – witnessed sit-ins calling for “the human right to live in safety and dignity” and against the “killing of Alawites”, according to Enab Baladi.

Reports said that some protesters chanted that the Syrian people are one, while others said there were calls for federalism. There were also calls to release Alawite prisoners detained by the new government.

The protests were called for on Monday by the head of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council Ghazal Ghazal. Ghazal called on his community to protest peacefully.

A pro-government counterprotest also gathered in Jableh and Banias. Reuters reported gunfire at the protest by security forces to break up two rival demonstrations. The government told Reuters that “unknown assailants had also fired on civilians and on the security forces”.

Is this a turning point for Syria’s government?

It is too early to say whether the government has fully been able to prevent a new round of sectarian violence, but the fact that the situation in Homs did not spiral into days of widespread violence is an important step to regaining the trust of many around the country.

“The communication from the government side was good,” Lina Ghoutouk, a Syrian researcher and human rights specialist, told media. “It was clear that this violence, aggression, or sectarianism is completely unacceptable.”

But Ghoutouk said more progress is needed to disarm the tribes and bring them under the authority of the state security forces.

“The problem is that the root cause is not controlled,” she said.

“Uncontrolled weapons on the loose mean [such incidents] could happen again.”