On 21 February 2026, an armed group targeted the citizen Qais Khaddour, a civilian belonging to the Alawite sect, inside his shop located on Bayt al-Tawil Street in the city of Homs, western Syria. He died instantly as a result of a direct gunshot wound.
According to the information available, Khaddour owned a shoe store named “Shi Chic” in the same area. Following the shooting, armed assailants set fire to his vehicle before fleeing to an unknown destination.
General Context: Escalation of a Pattern of Targeting in Homs
This incident occurs within the context of a concerning escalation in the targeting of civilians—most of them from the Alawite sect—during the current month of February in the city of Homs and its countryside. The pattern has occurred on a near-daily basis and has relied on direct gunfire, the use of motorcycles, and targeting victims while they were in transit or present at their workplaces.
Documented Related Incidents During February 2026
On the evening of Wednesday, 18 February 2026, Khodr Karakit and his fiancée, Nada Salem, were killed after being directly shot by masked gunmen riding a motorcycle in the Akrama neighborhood of Homs, western Syria. Both victims were from the Alawite sect.
On 17 February 2026, the young man Ali al-Ahmad, who belonged to the Alawite sect, was killed as a result of direct gunfire by an armed group while driving his car on al-Sittin Road in the al-Zahraa neighborhood of Homs.
On 12 February 2026, the young man Wasim al-Ashqar was killed after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head, when he was targeted by unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle in the al-Sabil neighborhood of Homs.
On 9 February 2026, contact was lost with the young man Ali Mohammad Rabeea, a resident of Old Akrama neighborhood and a member of the Alawite sect. His body was found on the morning of 10 February 2026 at al-Waleed Hospital in the al-Waer neighborhood of Homs. It was determined that he had been killed as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
The documented facts above indicate a concerning escalation in killings targeting civilians on the basis of their sectarian affiliation, in the absence of information regarding the initiation of independent and transparent investigations capable of uncovering the circumstances of these crimes, identifying those responsible, and ensuring their accountability in accordance with relevant national and international legal standards relating to the protection of the right to life and the prohibition of discrimination.
The documentation of these incidents underscores the necessity for the competent authorities to fulfill their duty to protect civilians, to adopt effective measures to halt the recurring pattern of targeting, and to ensure that perpetrators do not enjoy impunity.
