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The Truth About the Killing of the Guard at Mar Takla Church in Latakia
A man was killed on Wednesday evening, June 25, by unknown assailants in Latakia Governorate. There were circulating reports that the target was the guard of Mar Takla Church, but Syrian authorities denied this.
Nour al-Din Bremo, Director of Public Relations in the governorate, explained to Enab Baladi that the incident was an attack on a construction worker, not the guard of Mar Takla Church as spread on social media. He confirmed that the victim died instantly after being shot in the Mar Takla neighborhood.
The relevant authorities have begun investigations to uncover the details of the incident, which has sparked a wave of concern, especially given previous events — notably the bombing of Saint Elias Church in Damascus days earlier, which resulted in 25 deaths, heightening fears of attacks on Christian places of worship.
In a related context, Syrian security agencies are continuing their investigations into the attack on Umm Al-Zinnar Church in Homs. Middle Region Official Musab Zain Al-Din stated that investigations have been ongoing since June 8 to ensure the truth is uncovered.
Latakia Governorate has experienced repeated cases of killings and clashes, including the killing of two women during a security chase between a patrol and a group described by security as outlawed.
On June 13, the Ministry of Interior confirmed in a Facebook statement that it had opened an investigation into the involved patrol members, calling on citizens to cooperate with security patrols and verify the identities and uniforms of officials.
