Local sources report that five young men from the Alawite community were killed and several others injured, including the mukhtar of the village of Western Umm Harateen, after vehicles belonging to what were described as General Security,aligned armed groups entered the village and opened fire inside a local cafe.

The incident took place today in Umm Harateen, near Talkalakh, in the western countryside of Homs. Residents say this attack is not the first targeting members of the Alawite community, and they fear it may not be the last.

Since the fall of the previous ruling system, armed factions originating from the town of Talkalakh , and operating under the umbrella of the current authorities , have allegedly been involved in numerous violations against locals, including killings, kidnappings of both young men and women, theft, individual assassinations, and the burning of religious sites. Witnesses claim that these incidents have occurred without accountability, and in some cases with direct complicity from the governing security structures in the area.