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The Hague – The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has documented the killing of 12 civilians, including five children and a woman, in two separate massacres that took place on March 30 and 31, 2025, in Homs city’s Karm al-Zaytoun neighborhood and Harf Bnamra village in Banyas city in the rural parts of Tartus governorate. Preliminary investigations indicate that the perpetrators of the attacks were personnel of military and security formations affiliated with the ministries of defense and interior in the Syrian transitional government.
First: The massacre of Karm al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Homs – March 30, 2025
On March 30, 2025, SNHR documented the killing of six civilians, including four children and a woman, and the serious injury of another civilian after two gunmen stormed a civilian home in Homs’s Karm al-Zaytoun neighborhood opened fire indiscriminately inside.
According to information obtained by SNHR, the two gunmen raided the home of Bashar Ibrahim under the pretext of the suspected presence of an individual in military uniform inside, at which point they opened fire randomly inside the house, resulting in the massacre. This crime led to the killing of Bashar Ibrahim’s wife and three of their children, all of whom were from Wadi al-Oyoun town in Hama governorate, in addition to a man and his child who were visiting the family at the time of the incident.
Local sources reported that a public security patrol arrived at the scene immediately after the crime, initiating an investigation and collecting information. Testimonies from several local residents confirmed that the perpetrators were members of military formations affiliated with the ministry of defense. SNHR’s documentation team is still gathering more details regarding the victims and the incident.
Second: The massacre of Harf Bnamra village, Banyas city – March 31, 2025
On March 31, 2025, SNHR documented the killing of six civilians, including a child, and the injury of two others, all of whom were residents of Harf Bnamra village in Banyas city in the rural parts of Tartus governorate. The attack was carried out by two gunmen who had taken off from a military post known as ‘al-Daysna,’ where formations affiliated with the ministry of defense in the transitional government were stationed.
According to information collected by SNHR’s team on the ground, as well as reliable local sources, the two gunmen left the ‘al-Daysna’ post and went to the home of Somar Ibrahim Shahin, where they inquired about the whereabouts of the village’s mukhtar (local chief). Upon the mukhtar’s arrival, the gunmen immediately opened fire on him and those present inside the house, resulting in the killing of the homeowner, Somar Ibrahim Shahin, his child, his father, one of his brothers, the mukhtar, and another civilian.
Information received also confirmed that public security forces arrested those responsible for the attack and replaced the personnel at the military post with public security forces. Additionally, an official security delegation visited the village and met with community leaders, pledging to hold the perpetrators accountable.
SNHR strongly condemns the two massacres committed against civilians in Homs and Banyas city. These two massacres constitute a blatant violation of international human rights law, particularly the right to life, which prohibits all forms of extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions.
SNHR must stress that these violations cannot be justified under any security pretext and that the responsibility of the transitional government extends beyond merely taking subsequent measures. Rather, the transitional government must also undertake urgent and effective steps to prevent the recurrence of such violations and address their root causes, primarily the security chaos and poor organization within the forces and formations under its authority.
In this context, SNHR calls on the Syrian transitional government to take the following measures:
- Regulate armed forces and affiliated groups to prevent further violations
- Establish clear and effective mechanisms for monitoring and accountability concerning the conduct of armed factions under the authority of the transitional government.
- Require these factions to fully comply with international human rights law during security and military operations.
- Conduct an independent and transparent investigation and ensure accountability
- Immediately launch an independent and transparent investigation to uncover the details of the massacres and identify those responsible to hold them accountable and compensate the victims.
- Bring all individuals involved in these violations to fair trials that ensure justice and prevent impunity.
- Protect civilians and work to secure their humanitarian needs
- Provide immediate and effective protection for civilians in areas experiencing security tensions to prevent similar crimes in the future.
- Offer necessary humanitarian support to those affected by these violations.
- Reform and restructure security and military institutions
- Restructure security and military institutions to improve their efficiency and ensure their compliance with international legal principles.
- Implement specialized training programs for security and military personnel that emphasize respect for human rights during field operations.
SNHR stresses the urgency of adopting these measures to prevent the recurrence of such violations and ensure the protection of civilians from future targeting.
