Alawites flee homes in Damascus suburb after threats from armed group

Many residents of a suburb in northwest Damascus have fled their homes, following repeated threats and arbitrary arrests from an armed faction.

Most of the affected families in the al-Sumaria neighbourhood are Alawites, the religious minority group to which the ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad belongs.

The development comes as Syria's interim government struggles to contend with the internal security challenges left by almost 14 years of civil war.

The crisis in the Syrian capital's al-Sumaria district, which is home to around 6,000 residents, escalated late last month.

Since last Wednesday, many of them have abandoned their homes, following the arrival of a faction armed with guns and swords, according to testimony collected by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Samer, a resident who wished to use a pseudonym due to safety concerns, told Euronews that members of the faction had ordered people to evacuate the area immediately.

They also detained some people "as a means of pressure on their families to comply", Samer added.

Although the government later intervened and issued reassurances through the media for residents to stay, the faction returned again and made direct threats, sparking a new wave of forced migration, he said.

Ali, who is also from the neighbourhood, said he left with his family as soon as the militants entered "out of fear for my children".

"I heard that the (crisis) was over and things were back to normal, so I thought about going back, but my neighbour called me at night and said, 'Don't go back, the faction has re-entered and has given us a deadline to leave."

Nour, another resident who fled, told Euronews that the faction's members, dressed in General Security uniforms, "lurked in the streets and terrorised residents, closing shops and preventing people from going out".

They broke into homes in a "barbaric" manner, searched them without permission and wrote signs on the walls — including the letters "X" and "O" — without explaining their meaning, she said.

The group then announced a "24-hour deadline to evacuate", she added.

Nour claimed the armed group assaulted and beat women inside their homes, where no men were present, and confiscated their mobile phones.

Some families tried to rent cars to move their belongings, she said, but the faction prevented them from doing so.

Abu Huzaifa, the alleged leader of the group, rejected the Syrian government's directive for residents to stay, the SOHR reported.

As well as ordering people to evacuate, he insulted Syria's transitional president Ahmed al-Sharaa, the human rights group said.

Despite the government's insistence that the area was safe, reports suggested continued tension and fear among residents.

The UN expressed "grave concern" about developments in al-Sumaria, including reports of "threats of forced evictions" and "violations against innocent civilians, including women and children".

In a statement, it called for "restraint", stressing that UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen is "following developments closely".

At a press conference, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called for "carefully addressing the complex issues of housing, land and property, and transitional justice" in Syria.

"The protection of civilians in accordance with the rule of law and international standards" remains the top priority, Dujarric emphasised.