Syrian authorities have bolstered the presence of security forces over the Eid al-Fitr holiday [Getty]
Masked assailants killed and wounded six civilians in the village of Harf Banimra, Tartous governorate on Monday morning – the first day of Eid al-Fitr in Syria.
Local sources told The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that four people were killed, including the village headman Jawdat Fares, and two others were injured.
The sources added that the attack took place in front of a house in the village of Harf Banimra, amid heightened security tensions in the area, especially with the presence of a Syrian Ministry of Defence military checkpoint at the entrance to the village.
It is not known who was behind the attack.
Security forces deployed a patrol to the area after the attack.
On Sunday, two people were killed in the city of Talkalakh in Homs’ western countryside near the Syria-Lebanon border. The attack, also carried out by unknown assailants in a car with no license plates. Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the attackers opened fire from inside the vehicle, targeting two members of the city’s local committee. The pair were killed instantly.
Syria’s General Security Directorate and Internal Security Forces deployed a heavy security presence to several governorates on Monday to prevent attacks on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
On Saturday, the US embassy in Syria issued warnings to its citizens of an increased possibility of attacks during the Eid holiday. The advisory said that attacks could target diplomatic sites, security bases and government institutions in Damascus.
Tensions in Syria also led on Thursday to the cancellation of a planned visit by German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, following a “potential terrorist threat”.
The cancellation came as Faeser was in the Jordanian capital Amman, following discussions with her Austrian counterpart, a spokesperson for the ministry said.
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that a security campaign had targeted “cells affiliated wuth the Lebanese Hezbollah militia in the Sayyida Zainab area of the Damascus countryside”. It added that the cells were planning “criminal” operations in the area, and that a number of its members had been arrested.
March has the worst sectarian bloodshed since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad, with civilian massacres in Alawite-majority areas.
Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has previously vowed to prosecute those behind the “bloodshed of civilians” and set up a fact-finding committee.
