Clashes erupt in Christian town in central Syria

Security forces were deployed to the Christian town of Suqaylabiyah in central Syria following a clash between young Sunnis from a nearby area, according to residents and state media. The incident was the second sectarian violence in the region this year. The Syrian government, primarily Sunni-led, has been prioritizing improved relations with the United States, which has helped protect Christians from violence experienced by other minorities, mainly Druze and Alawites, since the 2024 end of the regime led by Bashar Al Assad.

State television reported that security personnel were sent to Suqaylabiyah on Saturday after a "brawl among young people" that resulted in an attack on a shop. Forces were also sent to the nearby Sunni town of Qalaat Al Madiq, 4km away. The Hama Governorate attributed the violence to "systematic incitement among the components of the Syrian people."

State TV claimed calm was restored in Suqaylabiyah after the brawl was contained, with some participants arrested. No immediate reports of casualties emerged. Videos on social media showed a fire in the street and at least one young man holding a stick during the brawl. Another video depicted young men attempting to break into a shop.

Security personnel in Suqaylabiyah were wearing protective gear and carrying automatic weapons. Suqaylabiyah, located in the Ghab Plain of Hama, has around 16,000 inhabitants, mainly Greek Orthodox. Its population decreased from 20,000 in December 2024. Following the downfall of Assad's regime, many loyalists fled the town. The Assad regime, dominated by Alawites, aimed to create an "alliance of minorities" during the 2011-2024 civil war and recruited some Christians, including from Suqaylabiyah, into the National Defence Forces.

Suqaylabiyah's ties to the former regime contributed to tensions with its mainly Sunni surroundings after the 2024 regime collapse. The Syrian civil war began in 2011 with around 850,000 Christians, comprising about 4.5% of the population, divided between Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, and various Greek Melkite, Maronite, Chaldean, and Armenian churches.

The new Syrian government has faced numerous challenges in uniting the multi-ethnic nation, including tensions with Kurdish, Alawite, and Druze minorities, sometimes leading to open violence. Lebanon's army claimed last week it had seized nearly 250kg of explosives smuggled from Syria. Recent reports suggested a secret meeting between Syria and Hezbollah in Turkey aimed at easing tensions, though both countries denied the meeting's occurrence.