The killings happened in the village of Anaz in Wadi al-Nasara, or the Valley of the Christians – an area of rolling hills in rural Homs province in western Syria. Locals say the gunman came from the direction of a nearby Sunni Muslim village.

The reported plots came to light as Syria was poised to join a US-led global anti-Islamic State coalition when US President Donald Trump hosts Sharaa. Syria has foiled two separate Islamic State plots to assassinate President Ahmed al-Sharaa,

The U.N. Security Council has voted to lift a series of sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and members of his government days before he's set to arrive in the U.S. for a historic visit to the White House.

House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast, R-Fla., is refusing to greenlight the repeal of Caesar Act sanctions on Syria even as the White House puts its full weight behind it, people familiar with the talks told Semafor. The US lifted other restrictions on President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday.

A week of bloodletting all-but ended the presence of Bedouins in most of Druze-dominated Sweida province. Months later, their path home remains uncertain.

Almost 100 faith leaders wrote to President Trump urging him to put pressure on Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa not to block humanitarian aid to Christians and Druze in southern Syria.

US President Trump to welcome Syrian President Al-Sharaa to the White House for a historic meeting. Discussing peace, sanctions, and rebuilding Syria. Click to learn more.