The site of the protests denouncing the murder of three young people in Wadi al-Nasara, Syria, on Oct. 2, 2025. (Credit: Photo taken from social media)
Calm returned Thursday to the predominantly Christian region of Wadi al-Nasara, west of Homs, after security forces intervened to contain public anger triggered the day before by a deadly shooting.
On Wednesday evening, two young Syrian Christians were shot dead by armed, masked men in the village of Annaz, sparking a wave of protests. Residents blocked main roads and set tires on fire, while local actors called for a general strike in solidarity with the families and to denounce insecurity.
According to reports, four men fired about 30 rounds at a group gathered near the office of the village mokhtar (local official), before fleeing toward the village of al-Hosn.
While the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed two people were killed, Syrian media reported a higher toll, mentioning three dead — one of whom is said to have succumbed to his injuries — and several wounded.
According to SOHR sources, one of the victims had appeared before a judge two days earlier following complaints filed against him by residents of al-Hosn. The court had released him, as no charges were pressed.
A survivor told the observatory, "One of the attackers got off his motorcycle shouting, 'Don't move,'" before quickly opening fire on his target. "I tried to get out of the way by jumping, but I fell and fractured my hand and foot. After making sure the two young men were dead, the attacker emptied his rounds into the body of one of them," he added. The father of one of the victims is refusing to bury his son's body until the murderers are caught and identified, SOHR said, citing the same source.
The head of Internal Security in the Homs governorate, Brigadier General Marhaf al-Naasan, vowed Wednesday to apprehend those responsible. "We strongly condemn this heinous crime and reject all forms of violence that threaten the security and stability of society. The purpose of this criminal act is to destabilize security, spread fear in the region and seek to influence the legislative elections process."
The vote, the first since the fall of the Assad dynasty on Dec. 8, 2024, is scheduled to take place this Sunday, Oct. 5. Marhaf al-Naasan said the relevant authorities immediately took the necessary measures to seal off the area, investigate the incident, and work to arrest the perpetrators in order to bring them to justice.
Since the start of the year, the SOHR has recorded 345 deaths in the Homs governorate, including 17 women and nine children. Among them, 218 people were killed based on their religious affiliation.
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