On Saturday, May 10, 2025, in the evening, four civilians, including a child, were killed in two simultaneous shooting incidents carried out by unidentified gunmen in two nearby locations within a military zone adjacent to the village of Zama in Jableh in Latakia Governorate. The area is under the control of the Syrian transitional government, and the identity of the perpetrators remains unknown at the time of this writing.
According to information obtained by SNHR from local sources, the first incident occurred inside the 107th Brigade, an abandoned military site housing outdated equipment and logistics. Unidentified gunmen entered the site at night and opened fire on two civilians from the village of Zama, Hilal al-Ali and Anwar Hamouda, who were inside, killing them instantly.
A few minutes later, as the gunmen exited the brigade gate onto the main road, a motorcycle carrying a young man and a child passed by and according to the sources, the gunmen were surprised by the motorcycle in front of them, so they opened fire directly at it, killing the young man, Mohammad Jawdat Mohammad (from the village of Bashili in Latakia) and the child, Haidar Basiq2l Al-Jardi (13 years old, from the village of Darmini in Latakia).
Forces from the General Security Service arrived at the site after the two incidents and began investigating and gathering information. The identity of the gunmen remains unknown, but local sources indicated that nighttime movement in this military zone is prohibited for personnel from the Ministry of Defense and General Security unless they are on official mission. This comes as part of the heightened security measures in place since the attacks carried out by outlawed armed groups linked to the Assad regime in March 2025, which targeted several military sites, including this area.
SNHR continues to collect eyewitness testimonies to fully verify and accurately document the circumstances of the incident.
Legal Conclusions
- The killing of four civilians, including a child, by direct gunfire by unknown gunmen, without any legal justification or engagement, constitutes an extrajudicial killing and constitutes a grave violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which stipulates that the right to life is inherent in every human being and that no one may be arbitrarily deprived of it.
- The fact that the gunmen are unknown does not detract from the transitional government’s responsibility to maintain security. Rather, the failure to contain civil conflicts or the behavior of local armed groups constitutes a direct failure to enforce the rule of law.
- If perpetrators are not identified and prosecuted, this reinforces the pattern of impunity, undermines civilian confidence in justice, and creates a dangerous environment for the recurrence of these crimes.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Launch an urgent, impartial, and transparent investigation, under the supervision of independent judicial authorities, to uncover the circumstances of the crime and identify the perpetrators, while ensuring the protection of witnesses and documenting evidence.
- Holding the transitional government fully responsible for protecting vital areas, including deploying security checkpoints, activating surveillance devices, and tightening control over unofficial armed groups.
- Criminally prosecute all those involved, including any parties or local groups involved in the shooting, and bring them to fair and public trials that guarantee the rights of victims and their families.
- Provide material and moral compensation to the victim’s family, as part of reparations in accordance with international standards.
- Launch a local awareness campaign on respect for the rule of law and the rejection of random weapons, with the participation of local community leaders, to combat irregular armament and tribal violence.
