The young man Ali Qanab, a civilian belonging to the Alawite sect who worked as a coffee vendor at a street stall in the city of Homs, western Syria, was killed after succumbing to a gunshot wound he sustained on the night of 26–27 February 2026, following a direct attack carried out by two armed individuals riding a motorcycle near the Clock Roundabout in central Homs, close to the Police Command headquarters.
According to available information, two unidentified armed assailants opened fire on Ali Qanab while he was present at his workplace near the Clock Roundabout, causing him severe injuries. He was transferred to Karam al-Louz Hospital in Homs; however, he later died as a result of his injuries.
The killing of Ali Qanab comes amid a marked escalation in the targeting of civilians in the city of Homs during February 2026, with troubling indications that some of these incidents bear a sectarian character.
On the evening of Friday, 27 February 2026, Nahel Abboud (44) and Hassan Abbas (42), both civilians belonging to the Murshidi sect, were killed in a direct attack carried out by an armed group on Bab al-Dreib Street at the Clinics Junction in the city of Homs, western Syria.
Additionally, on the evening of 23 February 2026, an armed group targeted Ms. Iman Mataniyous Jirjis (47), a Christian woman, in another incident that took place in the city.
According to documentation gathered during February 2026, more than ten civilians were killed in the city of Homs and its countryside, the majority of whom were members of the Alawite sect, in shooting incidents and direct attacks carried out by unidentified armed individuals.
These incidents form part of an ongoing pattern of sectarian-motivated targeting in the city of Homs since December 2024, that is, since the fall of the regime, raising serious concerns regarding the safety of civilians—particularly those belonging to religious and sectarian minorities—amid the continued climate of impunity and the absence of publicly announced, clear official investigation results into these crimes.
The continuation of this pattern of violence constitutes a grave violation of the right to life as enshrined in international human rights law and calls for urgent action to ensure the protection of civilians, to conduct independent and transparent investigations, and to hold those responsible for these violations accountable, in a manner that guarantees non-repetition and strengthens the rule of law.
