On Monday, May 26, 2025, five civilians, including a woman, were killed and three others, including a child, were wounded, all from the village of Al-Kindisiyya in the Latakia countryside. The civilians were shot while they were in an agricultural field in the nearby village of Jouret al-Maa by gunmen believed to be members of the Bedouin tribe. The area is under the control of the transitional government.
According to information obtained by SNHR from reliable local sources, armed individuals riding motorcycles entered the area and opened fire on civilians as they were harvesting their wheat crops. According to the sources, the gunmen are believed to belong to Bedouin tribes, who have a dispute with the local population over their refusal to allow them to bring herds of livestock onto their lands and graze them. SNHR is still collecting eyewitness accounts to verify the circumstances of the incident and fully document it.
Following the incident, Internal Security Forces responded to the scene and began conducting preliminary investigations to identify and pursue the perpetrators. The SNHR continues its investigations to gather more information and details about the incident.
Legal Conclusions
- The killing of five civilians, including a woman, by direct fire by gunmen belonging to Bedouin tribes, 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 an inherent right of every human being and that no one may be arbitrarily deprived of it.
- The injury of three civilians, including a child, as a result of gunfire by members of Bedouin tribes, constitutes a violation of Article 9 of the Covenant, which guarantees the security and physical integrity of individuals and imposes on the authorities the duty to prevent such attacks and hold their perpetrators accountable.
- Indiscriminate shooting by an armed group not subject to official control, in a civilian area, is an indication of the state’s inability to fulfill its obligations to protect the civilian population, which is in violation of the principle of the “duty to protect” binding on de facto authorities under international law.
- The likelihood that the militants belong to Bedouin tribes 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
- Open 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 the documentation of evidence.
- Hold the transitional government fully responsible for protecting public and civilian facilities, 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 families of victims, as part of reparations in accordance with international standards.
- Compensate all victims and the families of those killed and injured, both materially and morally, and ensure the provision of health and psychological care to those affected, as part of the basic obligations of the controlling party.
- 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.
