Syria detains five former air force officers over civilian strikes
Syrian security forces have arrested five former air force officers, including a Major-General, accused of planning and executing strikes on populated areas during the rule of deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Syrian security forces have detained five former air force officers, including a Major-General, accused of involvement in air strikes on civilians during the rule of deposed President Bashar al-Assad. The arrests were conducted in a series of operations in coordination with the Counter Terrorism Directorate in the coastal Tartous province.
Colonel Abdul Aal Mohammad Abdul Aal, head of Syria’s Internal Security Forces in Tartous province, confirmed the detentions in a statement released on Friday. He stated that investigations and military records indicated the officers were involved in planning, directing, and carrying out the strikes based on their specific positions and responsibilities.
The detainees have been identified as Major-General Mohammad Fajr Ali; Brigadier-General pilot Abdullah Ali Mualla; Colonel pilot Nidal Hussein Saleh; Colonel Mohammad Ali Salim; and Lieutenant-Colonel pilot Talib Abdul Karim Hassan. According to the security chief, the group included pilots, field commanders, and officers who served in operations rooms under the former regime.
The statement alleged that the officers used aircraft, airbases, and field command centres to conduct intensive combat airstrikes targeting populated areas. These actions are said to have resulted in the destruction of residential neighbourhoods and infrastructure, forced displacement, and extensive casualties.
The arrests form part of a broader institutional drive by Syria’s new government to hold former officials accountable. Since deposing al-Assad in December 2024, authorities have arrested dozens of former security personnel. Earlier this month, nine former pilots, including three generals, were detained on similar charges of participating in lethal bombings of towns and villages.
In August, Syria sentenced Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and five other security officials to death in absentia for atrocities committed during the civil war. The former president fled the country as his government collapsed and is believed to be living in Russia.
Investigations into the five newly detained officers are currently ongoing prior to their referral for trial. The case follows a civil war that lasted more than 13 years and claimed over half a million lives.
