Supreme Alawite Islamic Council issues appeal to stop attacks in Homs

The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and abroad issued an urgent appeal to the United Nations, the Security Council, and decision-makers following a "barbaric armed attack" targeting Alawite neighborhoods in the city of Homs this morning.

In its statement, the Council said that "groups of Bedouins, supported by elements of the de facto authorities," carried out the attack, which included direct gunfire on civilians, the burning of homes and property, the destruction of shops, and the burning of vehicles in the area.

The statement confirmed the documented deaths of civilians and dozens of injuries, amidst ongoing appeals from residents inside the neighborhoods, who are living in a state of fear and violence.

The statement indicated that the Syrian transitional government is incapable of stopping the "sectarian-based" attacks, noting that these attacks have been recurring for nearly a year, placing the lives of civilians from the Alawite community in Homs and other threatened areas "in imminent danger."

The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and abroad called on the international community to:

- Intervene immediately to stop the attacks and protect civilians in Alawite neighborhoods.

- Dispatch an independent international commission of inquiry to document the violations committed.

- Hold those directly responsible and those inciting the attacks accountable under international humanitarian law.

The Council held the transitional government "fully responsible" for the safety of civilians, considering its silence as "confirmation of its complicity and its inability to fulfill its obligations to protect minorities."

The Council concluded its appeal by calling for "the utmost seriousness and speed" in addressing the situation to prevent the escalation of sectarian violence and loss of life.

Since Sunday morning, neighborhoods in the predominantly Alawite city of Homs have been witnessing attacks by armed groups, who continue to burn houses after breaking in and looting them, and to fire on anyone they encounter in the streets, amidst heightened security tensions and fears of a repeat of the massacres that occurred in the coastal region and Swedia.

ANHA