Rights Monitor Syria documented the killing of Amar Rifaat Al-Assad, a civilian belonging to the Alawite community, after he was shot by an armed group while herding sheep near the village of Hawrat Amourin in the northwestern countryside of Hama, on Monday, 27 July 2026.
According to information documented by the platform, the armed group opened fire on the victim while he was herding sheep in the vicinity of the village, killing him at the scene.
This crime forms part of an ongoing pattern of attacks targeting civilians from the Alawite community in Syria, amid continuing reports documenting killings and assaults against civilians in various parts of the country. These incidents raise growing concerns regarding the safety of civilians and the escalation of violence with a sectarian dimension, or violence whose motives and circumstances require independent investigation.
Earlier on Monday, 27 July 2026, Rights Monitor Syria documented the killing of Yumna Al-Hallaq (41) and the serious injury of her son, Zain Ibrahim (13), after they were shot by armed assailants riding a motorcycle and using pistols fitted with suppressors on Al-Tawil Street in the Wadi Al-Dhahab neighborhood of Homs, at approximately 1:00 a.m. The platform had also previously documented, on 19 July 2026, the killing of Amna Mohammad Qa’eer (39) and her two children, Issa Khansa (9) and Lujain Khansa (14), in a similar attack carried out by armed assailants riding a motorcycle on Church Street in the Al-Sabeel neighborhood of Homs. All of the victims belonged to the Alawite community.
These incidents reflect the continued reporting of killings targeting civilians across several Syrian governorates, including individuals belonging to religious and sectarian minorities. This raises serious concerns over the deteriorating protection of civilians and underscores the urgent need to adopt effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such violations and ensure the safety and security of the civilian population.
Rights Monitor Syria affirms that the targeting of civilians constitutes a grave violation of international human rights law and the applicable rules of international humanitarian law. The organization calls for the opening of an independent, impartial, and effective investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the crime, identify those responsible, and hold them accountable in accordance with legal standards, thereby combating impunity, ensuring justice for the victims and their families, and preventing the recurrence of such violations.
