Shafaq News – Damascus (Updated at 12:20)

On Monday, the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and the Diaspora called for urgent international intervention after armed groups attacked several Alawite neighborhoods in Homs.

In its appeal, the council said the districts had come under a “barbaric armed assault” carried out by Bedouin groups “supported by elements of the de facto authorities,” and held the Syrian government responsible for the escalation. It urged the United Nations and the Security Council to deploy an independent investigation team and hold those responsible accountable under international law.

The statement followed the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting more than ten vehicles carrying armed men entered predominantly Alawite districts on Sunday, while chanting retaliatory slogans and religious calls.

A curfew was imposed after a man and his wife were reportedly killed in their home in Zaidal when the tribal gunmen stormed the area, triggering gunfire and property damage. State-run Al Ikhbariya reported that security forces in Homs then extended the nighttime curfew until 17:00 on Monday, urging residents to comply while operations continued.

Alawites, a religious minority group in Syria, have increasingly found themselves targeted in Homs and nearby areas, where recent sectarian-motivated attacks have included raids, shootings, and the burning of homes.