Syrian authorities arrest suspect in Homs double murder, deny sectarian motive
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- Syrian authorities arrest suspect in Homs double murder, denying sectarian motives.
The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday the arrest of a suspect in the murder of a married couple in the town of Zaidal, Homs countryside, a crime that had sparked tensions and sectarian violence in the region.
Authorities confirmed that the case does not have sectarian motives.
On November 23, the couple was found dead in their home near Homs. The wife’s body had been set on fire, and sectarian graffiti was discovered at the crime scene, fueling unrest that followed a series of similar disturbances in Syria over recent months.
At a press conference in Homs, Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba identified the main suspect as the victim’s nephew. He said the killings were motivated by robbery.
“After the victims discovered his intentions, he killed them in cold blood, then wrote sectarian slogans in their blood to mislead the investigation, and set fire to the premises to destroy evidence,” al-Baba said.
He added that the suspect later gave a full confession detailing the crime. The ministry also reported that more than 120 individuals suspected of participating in riots or related abuses following the murder have been detained.
In the immediate aftermath of the killings, allegations were directed at members of the Alawite community, triggering unrest in areas of Homs with mixed Sunni and Alawite populations.
Young men from Bedouin tribes reportedly carried out acts of vandalism targeting homes, vehicles, and shops in predominantly Alawite neighborhoods, prompting authorities to impose a curfew to restore order.
Two days after the incident, thousands demonstrated in the coastal city of Latakia and other Alawite-majority areas, condemning attacks against the community in Homs and elsewhere.
Since the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad about a year ago, members of his Alawite sect have faced repeated attacks. Hundreds were killed in March in several villages along the Syrian coast.
