After capturing Aleppo and Hama in quick succession, Islamists rebels have now reached the strategically important city of Homs. Historically dominated by the Sunnis, Homs became home to a massive Alawite population – President Bashar al-Assad’s sect – after the 1963 coup. After non-violent protests inspired by the Arab Spring began nationwide in March 2011, Homs city saw the first …
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