Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Gulf Today Report

A Syrian known as Haytham.M killed his brother, his wife, and his two nephews, and wounded his niece, then shot himself, due to family disputes, in the coastal city of Tartus, according to a statement by the Syrian Interior Ministry.

The statement said: "The police of Khirbet Al Ma’azah in Tartus received a report of shooting on a road in the village of Minya Yahmour, causing deaths and injuries."

The Syrian Ministry of the Interior said that patrols from Khirbet Al Ma’azah, Tartus and Criminal Evidences rushed to the scene, where preliminary investigations revealed that Haitham.M, shot his brother (Ali.M), the wife of his brother (Amal.Q) and his nephews (Qaisar, Bahr, and Nour Al Huda). The two boys died while Nour Al-Huda was injured.

The murderer then shot himself due to a family dispute among them over the olive harvest. According to the statement, the murderer and his niece, Nour were rescued, and the deceased were transferred to Al Basel Hospital in Tartus, while investigations are underway.

Syrian social media platforms deplored how a person commits such a severe crime of genocide against his brother's family just because of a dispute, calling for the harshest penalties to be imposed against him.