The Talkalakh region of Homs has experienced waves of sectarian violence since the first months of the Syrian revolution. Regime army units, backed by local militias, stormed the city in May 2011, displacing more than 4,000 residents and detaining 1,000 more. To the city’s north, the town of Zara was besieged for more than two years by its neighbors. Zara’s residents were ultimately expelled by force and their homes and land systematically looted.
The fall of Assad opened the door to the return of the region’s displaced Sunni population. With it came vigilante violence and housing and land disputes. The cities of Talkalakh and Zara themselves were severely damaged by regime militias and required extensive repairs, while many young Alawi men fled to Lebanon in fear of arrest or retributive violence.
The security situation improved gradually over the course of 2025. The district is home to nearly every sect in Syria and many communities had long-standing relations. These old networks reformed and cross-communal economic activity recovered. In early February 2026, however, a drive-by shooting in the Alawi village of Ain al-Khadra left two men dead and seven injured. It was the first attack in several months and raised questions about the stability of the area.
I visited Talkalakh in February 2026, observing a civil peace workshop for young people from the city and countryside and meeting with several participants and community leaders. I returned in mid-May 2026 and met with five Alawi professionals from the western countryside as well as two Sunni community leaders. Below is an edited transcript of the May meeting, discussing the current status of inter-communal relations and security in Talkalakh. The responses from participants are combined below each question and there was near universal agreement on each topic.