Tensions escalate in Syria’s Damascus and Homs

Shafaq News- Damascus

Several areas in the Syrian capital Damascus witnessed security tensions and unauthorized protest gatherings in recent hours, local sources told Shafaq News on Tuesday.

Shafaq News correspondent reported that dozens of people gathered at the entrance of Al-Mazza 86 district, chanting slogans against residents described by protesters as affiliated with the former government or benefiting from disputed land allocations in the area. The gatherings were accompanied by allegations of threats directed at residents.

The situation escalated as some protesters began vandalizing commercial shops on the outskirts of the district in an attempt to move deeper into the area. According to the correspondent, participants carried leaflets and posters calling on residents to leave the neighborhood and accusing them of seizing land in previous years.

The materials also contained sectarian rhetoric against Alawites. The origin of the leaflets could not be independently verified, though their circulation coincided with the unrest.

Read more:7 Alawites missing in Damascus amid rising tensions

Security forces intervened and deployed reinforcements to contain the situation, restore order, and pursue those involved in the disturbances, following reports of damage to private property and commercial establishments.

In Homs province, the historic city of Palmyra witnessed the displacement of dozens of families amid ongoing security tensions, following reported attacks against residents accused of ties to the former Syrian government.