Syria (MNN) — It’s been nearly three weeks since an outbreak of sectarian violence in northwest Syria. Since then, more than 1,600 Syrians have lost their lives, according to a UK-based Syrian war monitor.
Christians are among the slain, but most are Muslim Alawites. They were targeted in door-to-door massacres after a complicated conflict between fighters from Syria’s old regime and new government forces.
Bruce* with Uncharted Ministries says one local Syrian leader they support is an Alawite convert to Christianity — a doubly dangerous identity. During the rampage, this man (who we’ll call “Hamid”) wrote an incredible story to the Uncharted team:
Attackers of Christians and Alawites, March 2025 (Photo courtesy of Uncharted Ministries)
“The Lord, be with you, dear brothers and sisters. The armed men left the village now, and they are going toward Isqabla. They entered all the houses except ours. They did not enter it or fire a single shot at it. We thank the Lord for His care and protection.”
Bruce continues, “Now, Hamid is trying to figure out, ‘How do I get food to 120 families?’ that they know that have no food.”
It’s a story of mercy amid still-unfolding devastation. The Syrian war monitor says some burials still need to take place and thousands more remain missing.
“The Assad regime for 50 years was a brutal regime. But they were the minority — the Alawite minority. So even though [Syria had] a much larger Sunni population of Muslims, the Alawites were in control,” Bruce explains.
“So now [Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] is taking revenge on the Alawites, and they don’t care. If you happen to be an ally, you’re dead, basically. Even if you have no governmental [affiliation].”
Bruce says Syrian Christians practice their faith underground, yet there’s a gold thread of God’s Spirit at work even in the tragedies.
“Inspiring the Body of Christ to rise up and join the new great awakening among Jews and Muslims in the Middle East and in uncharted territories around the world.” (Caption and photo courtesy of Uncharted Ministries)
“The other thing that’s amazing [is Alawites are] a sect of Islam, but many have been coming to Christ. Hamid was the first Alawite to come to Christ in a couple hundred years. It just began. God has opened the door. Now there’s several hundred of these people, and more are coming,” he says.
Please join in praying for Syrians to find true peace in Christ. Pray for the underground church to keep pressing forward in hope. Pray God will bring peace and justice to Syria.
Then, learn how you can partner with Uncharted in their work in some of the hardest-to-reach places today here. Find your place in the story.
*name withheld for security
Header image of a shadow on a Syrian flag is a representative stock photo (Courtesy of Abdalhady Mansour via Pexels)
