On October 25, 2025, Public Security Forces affiliated with the Interim Authority (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) raided the Alawite neighborhoods of Talkalakh city in western Homs countryside, Syria. The operation involved intensive house searches and heavy gunfire aimed at intimidation, along with sectarian insults directed at residents. The incident also included physical assaults on women and the destruction of property inside one of the homes, which caused widespread fear and panic among local residents. During the raid, five individuals from the Alawite community were arrested, including a father and his three sons.
Detailed Information
Date: October 25, 2025
Location: Alawite neighborhoods, Talkalakh city, western Homs countryside, Syria
Perpetrating Party: Public Security Forces of the Interim Authority (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham)
Victims (Detainees):
Taleb al-Sammak
His sons:
Laith Taleb al-Sammak
Youssef Taleb al-Sammak
Mahmoud Taleb al-Sammak
Zaid Ibrahim
Notes on the Victims:
All detainees belong to the Alawite sect.
Three of the detainees — Laith, Youssef, and Mahmoud — are brothers who were arrested along with their father, Mr. Taleb al-Sammak.
Documented Violations:
Arbitrary arrest
Physical assault on women
Use of gunfire for intimidation
Sectarian verbal abuse
Destruction of private property (contents of the al-Sammak family home)
Context:
This incident occurs amid a surge in sectarian violence, killings, and kidnappings targeting minorities in Syria following Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’s assumption of power.
