Seven Alawite Workers Killed in Armed Attack on Bus in Western Syria
Seven Alawite Workers Killed in Armed Attack on Bus in Western Syria
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An armed attack on a bus carrying engineers and workers in western Syria has left seven people dead and four others injured, prompting calls for an investigation and renewed concerns over sectarian-motivated violence.
The victims were killed on Wednesday evening when gunmen opened fire on a bus transporting employees of Al-Mateen Company as it passed over the Masyaf Bridge near the Hawla area in western Homs province, according to Syrian media reports and local sources.
The victims, who were from Alawite-majority villages in the Homs countryside, included residents of Fahil, Al-Shinniyah and Al-Mahfoura villages. Four other people were injured in the attack, including a Christian young man, according to reports.
Syrian authorities described the attackers as unidentified gunmen and said investigations were underway to determine the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible.
Some survivors told local media that individuals at a road security checkpoint had asked passengers about their religious identity before the bus continued its journey and was later targeted by heavy gunfire. These accounts have not yet been independently confirmed by authorities, and no official findings have been released regarding the motive or identity of the attackers.
The killings sparked anger among relatives and residents of the affected communities, with some alleging that the attack may have been motivated by sectarian identity. However, authorities have not announced conclusions confirming the perpetrators’ identities or their motives.
Following the incident, the Supreme Islamic Alawite Council in Syria and the Diaspora condemned what it described as “killing based on identity” and called for three days of mourning for the victims.
In a statement, council head Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal said the attack represented part of what he described as continued targeting of Alawites in Syria. He called on the authorities responsible for security to protect civilians and prevent further violations.
The council said its position was based on rejecting violence and sectarian division, while calling for accountability, the protection of civilians and an end to attacks targeting people on the basis of religious or sectarian identity.
