AhlulBayt News Agency: According to Syrian human rights sources, a small number of Shia families—mostly consisting of the elderly and children—returned to Ashrafiyah, the village they fled last year amid escalating conflict and the collapse of the previous Syrian government.
However, shortly after their return, these families faced serious security threats, including late-night sound grenade attacks and sporadic gunfire in the area.
The targeted harassment forced the returning families to seek help from a local “Social Peace Committee”, asking for protection and guarantees of safety. Despite these efforts, the situation remained unstable. Within days of their return, the families felt compelled to leave once again, relocating to safer neighborhoods inside the city of Homs.
Local reports suggest that such hostile acts are part of a broader strategy to instill fear and force Shia residents into permanent displacement. Since the fall of the previous regime, Shia-populated villages and towns in northern Homs—such as Ashrafiyah, Mukhtariyah, Kafr Abed, and Ghanto, as well as Shia villages west of al-Qusayr near the Lebanese border—have faced a wave of armed raids, looting, and deliberate arson. These actions appear aimed at destabilizing the population and preventing any form of resettlement.
This recurring cycle of return and re-displacement underscores the fragile security environment and the challenges faced by minority communities in reclaiming their homes in post-conflict Syria.
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