Alawite-led protests spread along Syria’s coast after deadly mosque bombing

Overview

Protests and sectarian clashes erupted across Syria’s Mediterranean coast after a bomb struck an Alawite mosque in Homs during Friday prayers, killing at least eight people. Alawite demonstrators — mobilised by calls from exiled religious figure Ghazal Ghazal and his Supreme Alawite Islamic Council — demanded security guarantees, political reforms and decentralisation after the attack, which a small group calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna said it carried out and which purportedly targeted Alawites. Violence during Sunday’s demonstrations included gunfire at security forces in Latakia’s al-Azhari roundabout and a hand grenade thrown at the al-Anaza police station in Banias, Tartous.

Impact and context

State media and ministries reported multiple casualties and injuries: SANA said four people were killed and more than 100 injured in Latakia, while the Interior Ministry later reported one security officer killed and others wounded in related incidents. Security units moved into coastal city centres as clashes broke out between Alawite protesters and pro-government counterprotesters. The unrest highlights deepening sectarian tensions since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, with Alawites voicing grievances over security, discrimination in public hiring and detentions. Analysts warn the interim government’s limited reach and unresolved deals with Kurdish-led regions risk further fragmentation; experts say a negotiated accommodation with armed and regional actors could reduce tensions, while continued violence risks a slide into broader sectarian conflict, echoing past regional breakdowns. as reported by Al Jazeera

This story has also been reported by: New York Times