Masked gunmen spark sectarian murders of Christians and Alawites in Syria

Overview

A nighttime shooting in the Christian village of Anaz in Wadi al-Nasara left cousins Wissam and Shafiq Mansour dead on 1 October after a masked gunman on a motorbike opened fire. The attack, which locals say came from the direction of a nearby Sunni village, has deepened fears among minority communities that law and order have broken down since the fall of the Assad regime. Mourners accused authorities of leaving Christians defenseless and some victims were members of local pro-Assad militias; survivors and relatives say the killings have prompted talk of flight and rearmament as people fear further reprisals.

The incident fits a wider pattern of targeted drive-by shootings, kidnappings and revenge attacks across Homs province in recent months, with Alawites singled out in many of the incidents. Investigations and human rights groups estimate at least 40 Alawites were killed in separate attacks between 5 June and 31 October, and organisations such as the Syrian Network for Human Rights warn of escalating murders and abductions. The interim government has vowed protection and public trials for large-scale sectarian crimes, but families and survivors say the violence is prompting displacement and undermining hopes for a pluralistic post‑Assad Syria, as reported by BBC