HTS kills Shia civilian Samer Al-Baba near Damascus

Samer Al‑Baba, also known as Abu Salem, was shot dead by Hay’at Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS) on April 24, 2026 in the Hujaira area on the rural outskirts of Damascus. He was originally from al‑Zahraa in rural Aleppo and identified as a member of Syria’s Shia community. The killing was reported by the monitoring group @enemywatch, highlighting ongoing sectarian violence in the region. The incident underscores the precarious security situation for minority civilians in areas controlled by extremist factions.