by Tim Anderson, posted to ‘X‘, January 21, 2025
Free Syria.
In the name of attacking “Assadist militias” in western Homs, the HTS/alQaeda regime in Damascus has carried out new sectarian massacres.
January 21, 2025 Incident: Details of the Al-Ghour Al-Gharbiya Massacre in Rural Homs
In the early hours of the morning, a convoy belonging to the security forces of the Damascus government entered Al-Ghour village at 6:00 AM, followed by a second large convoy at 9:00 AM. The convoy included tanks, armored vehicles, heavy machine guns, and 23mm weapons.
The operation began with indiscriminate gunfire at houses and into the air to intimidate the village residents. Armed groups targeted schools, firing into the air and forcing students to flee without completing their exams.
The operation, labeled as a “security campaign,” saw residents opening their homes without resistance. However, soldiers stormed homes, vandalized properties, and carried out sectarian insults.
In a moment of fear, a retired police officer, Ahmad Mar’ei Jardo, ran through the village. Despite having no charges against him and having already completed reconciliation procedures, he was shot dead.
All young men in the village were arrested, gathered, and subjected to humiliation, dragging, beating, and torture. When some villagers protested the abuse of the elderly, they were also killed.
Confirmed martyrs include:
Basil Hosni Al-Qasim
Mohammad Saeed Jardo
Ahmad Hassan Jardo
Ali Mahdi Al-Saddam
The number of detainees and their identities remain under documentation due to the deteriorating security situation. Today’s campaign was retaliatory in every sense. Owning a mobile phone with:
A picture of the former Syrian flag
A party flag
A picture of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah
was deemed a crime punishable by arrest, even for civilians. After killing several men and young villagers, soldiers prevented locals from assisting or providing medical aid, an act amounting to war crimes. They also prohibited burial or funerals today, only allowing a maximum of ten family members to bury the deceased tomorrow, as informed by the armed forces.
Five individuals with gunshot wounds remain in the hospital, with no updates on their condition. Additionally, five other villagers suffered severe beatings, leaving them in critical condition.
The massacre followed a day of arrests and kidnappings targeting young men from the village, who were tortured, insulted, and humiliated. Confirmed victims of yesterday’s detentions include:
Samir Mohammad Al-Qasim
Ali Abdul Razaq Mohsen
Khalil Khidr Jardo
The campaign primarily targeted minorities from the Shiite community, aiming to enforce forced displacement and demographic changes in the area. Notably, the village had already participated in reconciliation agreements, and there were no weapons present in the village.