Local sources documented the killing of the young man Laith Zakaria Al-Jundi from the town of Al-Muzayri‘a Al-Ruwaymiyya in the countryside of Latakia, western Syria, after he succumbed to injuries sustained during demonstrations on the Syrian coast.
The victim (Laith) was 27 years old and belonged to the Alawite sect. He was participating in demonstrations that took place in the area and was subjected to several knife stabbings while he was in the vicinity of Al-Azhari Roundabout in the city of Latakia. The victim passed away on 13 January 2026.
The killing of Laith Zakaria Al-Jundi comes in the context of escalating violations targeting civilians from the Alawite sect in the Syrian coast and other regions of the country. Facts indicate an increase in incidents of killing and arrest on sectarian grounds, particularly amid peaceful demonstrations witnessed by several cities and areas since late December 2025.
In this context, local sources reported that the forces of the interim authority, represented by “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” and its security arms known as the “General Security,” carried out systematic arrest campaigns against citizens from the Alawite sect in the governorates of Latakia, Tartus, Homs, and Hama, in addition to areas in the countryside of Damascus, with a particular focus on participants in the demonstrations of 28 December 2025.
Within the same context, on 12 January 2026 the killing of the citizen Mudi’ Hamoud was recorded. He was from the Alawite sect and was killed after masked gunmen stormed his home in the village of Al-Shattaha in the countryside of Hama Governorate and opened fire on him in front of his wife and children, leading to his immediate death. The sources stated that the attackers were riding a motorcycle.
These incidents reflect a rising pattern of human rights violations targeting civilians on a sectarian basis, amid local calls to rein in the security situation, pursue those responsible for these crimes, and bring them to justice.
