A Syrian militant stands next to a fire as drugs and alcoholic beverages, found at a residential building, are being destroyed in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. (AP)

The city of Masyaf in the northwestern Hama countryside witnessed a demonstration condemning the assassination of three judges on Tuesday, during which participants raised slogans affirming the unity of the Syrian people and the need to hold those involved accountable.

A local source indicated that foreign armed individuals attempted to forcibly disperse the demonstrators, provoking anger among the residents, and prompting city elders to intervene to prevent any clashes between the locals and the foreign militants.

On Tuesday, three judges from the Alawite sect were killed at the Rabia-Masyaf junction in the northwestern countryside of Hama, coinciding with ongoing retaliatory operations in several Syrian provinces.

Local sources clarified that the three victims were civilian land registry judges from the Hama city court, not military judges. The attack reportedly occurred as they were returning from a meeting in Hama city.

Armed men storming a religious shrine in Aleppo

Moreover, a video surfaced online showing unidentified armed men storming the shrine of Abu Abdullah al-Hussein al-Khasibi, the founder of the Alawite sect, in the Maysaloon area in Aleppo. The incident resulted in the killing of five attendants, the mutilation of their bodies, the vandalization of the shrine, and its burning.

Later, claims circulated alleging the video was old and dated back to when armed factions entered Aleppo, prior to the fall of the Assad regime.

However, Ahmed Brimo, director of the Verify platform, confirmed the video's authenticity, stating that it was filmed inside the shrine after matching its geographical location and landmarks seen in the footage. Brimo told the local Sham FM radio that he, however, could not verify the exact date of the video's recording.

Following the incident, public discontent among the residents in the area intensified, as they urged Ahmad al-Sharaa to prosecute the perpetrators. There were also calls for demonstrations to denounce the incident.

Activists shared another video showing armed members of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham inspecting the shrine. The individual filming the video vowed retribution against those responsible for the attack.

Syrians remain concerned about extremist factions within HTS: VOA

With Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) consolidating its grip on Syria after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, many Syrians remain concerned about the influence of extremist factions within the group, the Voice of America (VOA) news website reported on Tuesday.

Since taking control of Damascus, HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has adopted a more "moderate stance", pledging to establish a state characterized by tolerance and coexistence among Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious groups, the news website noted.

Despite these assurances, skepticism persists among Syrians regarding the new leadership’s ability to contain the group’s radical elements.

Al-Masri, a Damascus resident who provided only his last name, acknowledged that the new authorities have largely maintained order in Damascus and elsewhere. However, he voiced concerns that this stability might be short-lived.

"We know that Hay'at Tahir al-Sham is trying to change, and we welcome that," he told VOA.

"But there are two things that people in my circle are really concerned about. One is how genuine al-Sharaa is, and the other is how much control he really has over the more radical people in his group," al-Masri indicated.