The two young men, Yasser Hussein Abbas and Hussein Hamdi, were killed after contact with them was lost on the evening of Friday, 6 March 2026, in the city of Homs in western Syria. Their bodies were found on the morning of Saturday, 7 March 2026, having been killed, hours after they had disappeared while returning from work. Available information indicates that the victims belonged to the Alawite sect, in an incident that comes within the context of escalating acts of violence targeting civilians in the city during recent months.
According to the information that has been documented, contact with the two young men, Yasser Hussein Abbas and Hussein Hamdi, was lost on Friday, 6 March 2026, at approximately 5:00 p.m., while they were returning from their workplace in the Bab al-Sibaa neighborhood toward their home located on Taghlib Street in the Karm al-Louz neighborhood in the city of Homs.
According to the available data, the bodies of the two young men were found on the morning of Saturday, 7 March 2026, inside the city of Homs, hours after contact with them had been lost. Initial information indicates that they had been subjected to an abduction prior to being found killed, although no confirmed information is currently available regarding the identity of the party responsible for the incident.
This incident comes amid a series of violent events witnessed in the city of Homs in the recent period. On the evening of Sunday, 1 March 2026, both Hassan Jardo and Mohammad Ramadan—who belonged to the Shiite sect—were killed after being subjected to direct gunfire carried out by two armed individuals riding a motorcycle inside a small shop in the al-Abbassiyah neighborhood of the city of Homs.
Documented information also indicates a noticeable escalation in attacks targeting civilians in the city of Homs during February 2026, amid concerning indications of the possible presence of sectarian motives in some of these incidents.
According to what was monitored during February 2026, more than ten civilians were killed in the city of Homs and its countryside, the majority of whom belonged to the Alawite sect, in incidents involving gunfire and direct targeting carried out by unidentified armed individuals.
Targeting civilians on the basis of religious or sectarian affiliation constitutes a serious violation of the right to life as guaranteed under international human rights law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which obliges the authorities to take the necessary measures to protect civilians, investigate such crimes, and hold those responsible accountable.
