On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Mrs. Ikram Qassam and her son Yasser Bilal Sheikh Youssef, both residents of the city of Jabla in Latakia suburbs, were killed by indiscriminate gunfire in the Al-Fayd neighborhood in the Al-Qamira area, located in the southern part of the city of Jableh in Latakia. This area is under the control of the transitional government.
According to information SNHR obtained from reliable local sources, several individuals were randomly fired bullets during a popular celebration marking the announcement of the lifting of sanctions on Syria.
Legal Conclusions
- This incident reflects a serious shortcoming in regulating the possession and storage of weapons in civilian areas. This contradicts the state’s duty to take preventative measures against the possession of weapons inside homes and civilian residential areas, as well as international principles related to community security.
- The uncontrolled presence of firearms in civilian residential areas reflects a disturbing spread of a gun culture within residential environments, threatening public safety and highlighting the absence of serious policies to control weapons and restrict them to official institutions.
- Although the death resulted from a stray bullet, the transitional government bears part of the responsibility for regulating the proliferation of weapons, educating the population about their dangers, and controlling the environment in which they are used by civilians.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Enact and implement strict legislation regulating the possession of weapons, prohibiting their presence inside homes and residential areas without clear licenses and conditions, including safe storage, and criminalizing negligent handling.
- Implement extensive community awareness campaigns, in cooperation with civil society organizations, to educate families about the dangers of weapons inside homes and residential areas, and the need to report unsafe possession.
- Strengthen oversight of the circulation of individual weapons by establishing periodic inspection mechanisms and creating a national registry of weapon holders in areas under the control of the transitional government.
- Launch community protection programs for children, combining awareness-raising in schools and community centers, and engaging parents in promoting a safe environment for children at home.
- Authorities bear legal responsibility for any negligence resulting in civilian death or injury and must take clear criminal action against anyone who violates gun laws or causes misuse within residential areas.
