Babna was recorded in
Ottoman tax registers in 1519 and 1547 as part of the
Sahyun district and was assessed 620
dirhams in taxes. From the early 19th century, during Ottoman rule (1517–1918), until 1924, during
French Mandatory rule (1923–1946), Babna had been the capital of the Sahyun
kaza (district). The French transferred this administrative role to nearby
al-Haffah. Prior to its demotion, Babna had around 2,000 inhabitants, including most of the major landlords of its hinterland, a large mosque, an administrative court, a
seray (government house), and a busy
souk (bazaar). Afterward, it rapidly declined in population, with its notables and their clients moving to the cities of
Latakia and
Jableh. Today, it is a small village. The old mosque and some of the large villas of its former inhabitants remained as of the 1990s. In 1994, its population was 711. During the
Syrian civil war, in June 2012, there were
heavy clashes between rebels and government forces in Babna, al-Haffah and surrounding communities. In April 2022, residents or returnees to Babna began applying for permits to rebuild or repair homes damaged in the village during the fighting. ==References==