[Homs] Syrian authorities imposed a full curfew Tuesday night on several neighborhoods in Homs and deployed large numbers of soldiers and security personnel after violence erupted following a brutal double murder in nearby Zaidal. The killings rapidly inflamed sectarian and tribal tensions, again exposing how fragile the city’s social fabric remains after years of deeply rooted wartime divisions.
The unrest began when a man and his wife from the Bani Khalid tribe were found dead in their home, their bodies showing signs of burning and mutilation, with sectarian slogans left behind, according to local sources.
Anger inside the tribe quickly sparked retaliatory attacks across parts of Homs, including damage to property in predominantly Alawite neighborhoods and reports of gunfire and vandalism in the Basal Suburb and Al-Muhajireen district. The escalation prompted a swift military deployment aimed at containing the chaos.
A senior security official, speaking to The Media Line on condition of anonymity, said forces moved in within minutes. “We deployed within minutes around the areas where armed movements appeared to keep the situation from spreading. Our first priority was protecting civilians and preventing the violence from spreading from one neighborhood to another. What happened in Homs wasn’t a routine crime; it carried serious tribal and sectarian risks,” he said.
He added that the curfew followed a security assessment that warned of expanding clashes. “The tension had reached a dangerous stage. We had to impose a curfew and close off several neighborhood entrances because even a small confrontation could have triggered a much larger explosion—one the city cannot absorb,” he said.
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Investigations are underway, with “specialized units…handling the original crime, which set off everything that followed,” the official noted.
In Al-Muhajireen, resident Um Samer described staying behind a closed window as gunfire echoed nearby. “For the first time in years, it felt like the city might slip back into days we never want to relive,” she said. “The army arrived fast, but the fear didn’t go away. We wouldn’t even allow our children to step out onto the balcony.”
In the Basal Suburb, shopkeeper Abu Ziad recalled the sudden shift in atmosphere. “We heard that shops and homes were being attacked, so we closed right away,” he said. “Young men were running through the streets, cars stopped suddenly, and then soldiers flooded the area. It felt like things were getting out of control.” The events, he added, “brought back memories people here have never completely forgotten.”
Homs sits at the crossroads of Syria’s most sensitive sectarian and social divides. Its diverse population makes it vulnerable whenever a violent incident is interpreted through a communal lens. Years of wartime polarization mean that reactions often erupt collectively, shaped by old grievances and trauma.
Tribal influence and the prevalence of weapons heighten the risk. The Bani Khalid tribe, among the largest in the region, retains significant local power, and like many Syrian tribes, its members remain heavily armed after years of conflict—fueling rapid, revenge-driven responses.
A wider surge in crime across Syria compounds the volatility. Human-rights groups report sharp increases in revenge killings, kidnappings, extrajudicial murders, and organized crime since 2022, with more than 1,150 victims recorded so far in 2025.
Officials fear that any spark in Homs could trigger broader upheaval. The military’s rapid deployment was meant to serve as a “shock barrier” to stop neighborhood-level clashes before they expanded.
Long-standing disputes—tribal feuds, past kidnappings, smuggling routes, and long-simmering tensions between surrounding communities—remain unresolved and easily reactivated.
Elders from the Bani Khalid tribe, together with religious and community leaders, have launched intensive mediation efforts to prevent further escalation. A tribal source said the victims belonged to a prominent family, heightening emotions. “People are furious, but we’re trying to calm things down because more attacks would pull everyone into a place no one wants to go,” he said.
Though relative calm has returned, Homs remains tense as residents await the findings of the investigation into the Zaidal killings. With troops still on the streets, public anger simmering, and long-standing social fractures unresolved, the city faces yet another test of its fragile stability—one whose outcome remains uncertain.