Syrian protests turn violent after Alawite mosque bombing

Sherif Tarek, Bloomberg News on Dec 29, 2025

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Clashes broke out between Syrian security forces and demonstrators led by the Alawite religious minority as pressure mounts on President Ahmed Al Sharaa to reconcile long-standing sectarian disputes.

People took to the streets in coastal cities of Latakia, Tartus and other areas on Sunday to protest the bombing of an Alawite mosque in Homs last week, which killed at least eight people. Some called for more local autonomy, which the government rejects.

Security forces, backed by armored vehicles, deployed heavily to the region in response. Demonstrators were assaulted by pro-government groups and two people were killed by live fire, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a network of activists that reports on the country.

Syria has witnessed several bouts of sectarian violence since Sharaa, who once led an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, helped oust former leader Bashar Assad just over a year ago. An uprising against the Assad family’s reign in 2011 turned into a civil war that deepened sectarian sentiment, destroyed much of the country’s economy and displaced millions.

The Interior Ministry blamed the violence on armed men affiliated with Assad, who belongs to the Alawite group. One of the victims in Latakia was a policeman, the ministry added.

The state-run Sana news agency said the protests were “exploited” by the pro-Assad camp.

Last week’s mosque bombing was claimed by a Sunni Islamist group, which also took responsibility for a similar attack against a church on the outskirts of Damascus in June.