Call for Investigations and Accountability for Incidents of Retaliatory and Discriminatory Nature
Available in:
The Hague – The Syrian Network for Human Rights:
Between May 29 and June 1, 2025, the city of Qatana in the Rif Dimashq Governorate witnessed an escalation in security tensions following the killing of a local officer working within the Internal Security Forces of the Ministry of Interior of the transitional government. The officer was killed by gunmen suspected of being linked to smuggling networks.
According to documentation by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), this incident was followed by a series of violent acts carried out by unidentified armed groups, resulting in the deaths of at least three civilians, one of whom was a medical worker, after they were kidnapped. The attacks also targeted private property, in circumstances that suggest retaliatory and discriminatory motives.
Security context and developments (May 29 – June 1, 2025)
On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Jamil Moumna (known as “Abu Walid”), a commander in the Internal Security Service and a native of Qatana, was killed after being shot by an armed group believed to belong to a drug-smuggling network near the village of Aisam in the Mount Hermon area west of the city. According to the information we obtained, the incident occurred during a security ambush targeting this network, as part of a security campaign aimed at curbing its growing activity in the area.
Following the incident, and based on field documentation, multiple incidents were recorded in the city of Qatana, including kidnappings and attacks on property, including businesses, including arson and vandalism, amidst an atmosphere of heightened societal tension, with indications that some acts were motivated by revenge or discrimination.
