On the morning of 16 March 2026, an Alawite young man was found killed inside his home in the city of Homs, central Syria, in an incident raising growing concerns over the escalation of acts of violence targeting civilians—particularly members of religious and ethnic minorities—in several Syrian regions during the recent period.
Local sources reported that the body of Ali Ramez Al-Mohammad was found inside his home in the Al-Muhajireen neighborhood in the city of Homs. It was determined that he had been shot, which led to his immediate death.
According to the available information, gunshot wounds were found on the victim’s body. Local community sources suggested that the perpetrator may have used a firearm equipped with a sound suppressor, given that none of the neighborhood residents or nearby neighbors reported hearing gunfire at the time the crime occurred.
Local information also indicates that the use of handguns fitted with suppressors in assassinations of a sectarian nature has reportedly been repeated in recent times in the city of Homs.
This incident comes within the context of a series of killings that have targeted civilians in different areas of Syria over the past few days.
On 14 March 2026, the educator Maral Khashfajian was killed inside her home in the city of Aleppo, northern Syria, after being subjected to a fatal stabbing attack with a sharp instrument. The victim belonged to the Armenian ethnic group and practiced the Christian faith, and the assault resulted in her death inside her home in the city center.
In a separate incident, also dated 14 March 2026, the body of the citizen Ismail Mustafa Safar was found killed in the countryside of Homs Governorate, central Syria. Information indicates that the victim—who belonged to the Ismaili community—had been lured outside the city of Salamiyah in the countryside of Hama before his body was later discovered.
Additionally, the young man Hussein Rassem Al-Rajo, a member of the Alawite community, was killed on 13 March 2026 in the Al-Muhajireen neighborhood – Al-Basel suburb in the city of Homs after being attacked with a piece of glass to the neck area, which resulted in his immediate death.
These incidents indicate the continued occurrence of assaults and killings targeting civilians in various parts of Syria, amid increasing reports of killings, kidnappings, assaults, forced displacement, and other violations affecting the safety of civilians.
Local actors are calling for the adoption of effective measures to protect civilians, the opening of independent and transparent investigations into these crimes, and the ensuring of accountability for those responsible in accordance with the law, in a manner that contributes to limiting the escalation of violations and ensuring that perpetrators do not escape punishment.
