Friends searching for answers in killing of Oklahoman in Syria

By Jason Burger

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — An Oklahoman killed in Syria has gained attention nationally and from Oklahoma lawmakers in Congress.

Hosam Saraya lived in Oklahoma for years and graduated with a degree from Oklahoma Christian University in 2016.

Friends described Saraya as a man who genuinely cared about people, and it isn’t clear as to why his life was taken.

“You spend a lot of time with somebody when you’re working with them for eight hours a day,” said Brandi Mendoza, a friend and coworker of Saraya’s.

Mendoza and Jeff Aynes worked with Saraya for several years. He was an operations manager at Synergy HomeCare.

“Very about family, and very respectful of people’s family dynamics,” Aynes said. “He loved life, and he loved people.”

The 35-year-old Syrian American was killed in Syria last week, alongside his uncle, father and cousins. He had made the trip from Oklahoma City to see his father, who had become ill.

“No one is speaking about why this happened, why they weren’t’ protected, and why they were allowed to do this,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza told KOCO 5 that Saraya was a part of the Druze community and was in the Suwayda Province in southern Syria at the time of his death.

Aynes explained on a basic level what people in the Druze community believe.

“They are on the very peaceful side of the Islamic religion, and I think the others are on the extremist side,” Aynes said.

Mendoza said she’s been in touch with some of Saraya’s family members, and she told KOCO 5 about the group that carried out the execution of the man, and his family is known as HTS, or Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. She said they kidnapped the men before they were killed.

The group took over Damascus in late 2024.

“The leader was former al-Qaeda, and these people were actually supposed to protect the citizens of Syria,” Mendoza said.

Even though Saraya is gone, both Mendoza and Aynes know the life he lived; light-hearted, genuine and to the absolute fullest.

“He didn’t want you to ever have regrets, he always wanted you to move forward, and he doesn’t want us to dwell on his death,” Mendoza said.

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