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Clashes broke retired connected Syria's seashore betwixt protesters from the Alawite spiritual number and antagonistic demonstrators connected Sunday (December 28, 2025), 2 days aft a bombing astatine an Alawite mosque successful the metropolis of Homs killed 8 radical and wounded 18 others during prayers.
Thousands of protesters gathered successful the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, and elsewhere. Officials person said that preliminary investigations bespeak that explosive devices were planted wrong the mosque successful Homs, but authorities haven't publically identified a fishy yet successful Friday's (December 26) bombing. Funerals for the dormant were held connected Saturday (December 27).
A little-known radical calling itself Saraya Ansar al-Sunna claimed work for the onslaught successful a connection posted connected its Telegram channel, successful which it indicated that the onslaught was intended to people members of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam whom hard-line Islamists see to beryllium apostates.
Sunday's demonstrations were called for by Ghazal Ghazal, an Alawite sheikh surviving extracurricular of Syria who heads a radical called the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council successful Syria and the Diaspora.
An Associated Press lensman successful Latakia saw pro-government counterprotesters propulsion rocks astatine the Alawite demonstrators, portion a radical of protesters bushed a counterdemonstrator who crossed to their side. Security forces tried to interruption up the 2 sides and fired into the aerial successful an effort to disperse them. Demonstrators were injured successful the scuffles, but it wasn't instantly wide however many.
Syria's state-run tv reported that 2 members of the information forces were wounded successful the country of Tartous aft idiosyncratic threw a manus grenade astatine a constabulary station, and cars belonging to information forces were acceptable connected occurrence successful Latakia.
The state has experienced respective waves of sectarian clashes since the autumn of erstwhile President Bashar Assad successful a lightning rebel violative successful December 2024 that brought to an extremity astir 14 years of civilian war. Assad, an Alawite, fled the state to Russia.
In March, an ambush carried retired by Assad's supporters against information forces triggered days of unit that near hundreds of radical dead, astir of them Alawites. Since then, though the concern has calmed, Alawites person been targeted sporadically successful sectarian attacks. They person besides complained of favoritism against them successful nationalist employment since Assad's autumn and of young Alawite men detained without charges.
During the reign of the Assad dynasty, Alawites were overrepresented successful authorities jobs and successful the service and information forces.
Government officials condemned Friday's onslaught and promised to clasp perpetrators accountable, but haven't yet announced immoderate arrests.
