Violence surges in Homs: 20 killed in October, 2025

The city of Homs and its countryside are witnessing an alarming rise in kidnappings and killings amid ongoing security deterioration and official inaction. The countryside saw a notable escalation between October 17 and 25, exacerbating fears of broader lawlessness.

According to documentation by ANHA Agency, a kidnapping occurred on Friday, October 17, 2025, around 8:00 a.m., when Muneeb Al-Asil, 58, owner of “Al-Asil Milk Factory” in Qutaynah, was abducted.

Eyewitnesses said five individuals in two cars carried out the abduction, breaking into the facility and holding a lab worker captive in her room, before forcing Al-Asil out under threat and taking him to an unknown location.

The witnesses also reported that the perpetrators stole approximately 70 million Syrian pounds from the factory. Later, the kidnappers contacted the victim’s family, demanding a $1 million ransom for his release. The case remains unresolved.

On October 18, citizen Nasser Mohammed Al-Issa, 56, died from severe injuries after being shot by unidentified gunmen, while his son, Faiz Nasser Al-Issa, 25, was also injured.

The father and son were targeted while working at a small stall in Wadi Al-Dhahab neighborhood in Homs. They were initially taken to the General Clinics Hospital in Homs, but despite doctors’ efforts, the father could not be saved, while the son continues to receive treatment for gunshot wounds to his thigh and leg.

On October 19, Ibrahim Saleh Al-Ali, known as “Ibrahim Asfour,” and his wife Suad Nawas were killed, and citizen Rajeh Aqoul was injured, after gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on people along Bab Al-Dreib road in Homs.

On October 20, unidentified gunmen in a car shot at Hatem Abboud, a young man working as a UN security guard at Al-Safir Hotel in Al-Wuroud – Al-Hibal Street, near his home in Homs.

According to our correspondent, the victim’s wife rushed to help him but found no response; Abboud later died from his injuries.

On October 21, our correspondent reported the discovery of the body of Alaa Mohammed Ibrahim, from Karm Al-Louz neighborhood in Homs, killed under mysterious circumstances. Alaa, a taxi driver, went missing while working on the evening of October 20, and his body was later found at Al-Waer Hospital; he had been assassinated during the night and his body was dumped in Qrabis neighborhood. His car remains missing, and the responsible party is unknown.

On the same day, in Akramah neighborhood, gunmen on a motorcycle shot at two sisters, killing one and seriously injuring the other, who was hospitalized. The sisters were 18 and 14 years old.

On October 23, unknown gunmen on a motorcycle fired directly at Dr. Wael Abed’s car in his village of Anaz, in Wadi Al-Nasara countryside. The attackers fled without causing injury.

On October 25, a group of armed individuals threw two hand grenades at a house in Al-Waleed neighborhood, killing 32-year-old Riham Nizar Hamoudeh, while another young woman, Sara Mohammed Hamidoush, was seriously injured.

Disappearances are also spreading at an alarming rate. Bassel Shahadeh Jaifer from Rableh in Al-Qusayr countryside went missing on Sunday, October 19, on his way back from work in Huseiya along the Damascus-Homs highway; his fate remains unknown.

Similarly, Hajmat Taysir Idris, from Al-Qarniyah village, disappeared on the morning of Saturday, October 19. His white Porter vehicle was found abandoned on the road connecting Al-Hawz and Al-Qarniyah, with the doors open, but his whereabouts are still unknown.

According to rights and humanitarian organizations monitoring Syria, Homs and its countryside recorded the highest number of victims in the country this month, with around 20 deaths, bringing the annual total to 1,118 since the start of the year.

The security situation in Homs countryside is worsening due to the spread of chaos, lack of deterrence, and increased armed gang activity, with authorities unable to restore stability or protect citizens, according to local residents.

Residents are demanding urgent measures to curb the lawlessness, secure the area, and protect families and property.

a.k

ANHA