On the morning of November 23, 2025, the bodies of a man and his wife were found inside their home in the town of Zaidal, located south of the city of Homs in central Syria. Sectarian-tinged phrases were found at the crime scene, giving the incident a serious dimension and reinforcing circulating concerns about parties seeking to fuel social division amid existing tensions in the area.
According to circulating information, the couple belongs to the Bani Khalid tribe, from the Al-Nasser clan (the husband is Abdullah Al-Aboud). The couple was killed inside their home, and the wife’s body was subjected to burning.
Circumstances of the Incident
The commander of internal security in Homs affiliated with the Interim Authority (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham), Brigadier General Marhaf Al-Na’ssan, stated that the security forces:
“Immediately initiated all necessary legal procedures upon receiving the report, including cordoning off the crime scene, collecting evidence, and opening an extensive investigation to uncover the circumstances of the crime, identify the perpetrators, and pursue them to bring them before the competent judiciary.” He added, “We strongly condemn this heinous crime, and we affirm that its clear aim is to ignite sectarian rhetoric and sow discord among members of the community. We call on our people to exercise restraint and leave the investigations to the internal security bodies, which are carrying out their duties responsibly and neutrally.”
Developments After the Incident
Following the spread of the news of the crime, armed assaults and attacks took place in the city of Homs, concentrated in neighborhoods with an Alawite majority, involving individuals from the Bani Khalid tribe and groups of Bedouins.
The attacks in the Al-Muhajireen neighborhood and Al-Basil suburb included random gunfire in the streets, assaults on residents, the storming of homes and shops, the smashing of cars and property, and the setting ablaze of homes and shops belonging to Alawite civilians, as shown in the following footage and images:
The city of Homs has been witnessing escalating sectarian tension as a result of daily killings and kidnappings targeting members of the Alawite sect. This crime and the subsequent attacks have raised serious fears of the area sliding into open confrontations, while calls have emerged from local activists to halt sectarian incitement.
