Syria15 May, 20262 min read
Syria Interior Minister Anas Khattab Arrests Maj. Gen. Wasel Al-Owaid and Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Mahla
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Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced arrests of Maj. Gen. Wasel al-Owaid and Ibrahim Mahla. Arrested individuals are figures from the deposed Assad regime.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Asad Al-Shaibani Meets Saddam Haftar in Benghazi Over Syrian Consulate And Missing Syrians →
Arrests in Damascus
Syria’s Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced on Friday the arrest of two figures he described as former officials of the deposed regime, naming Maj. Gen. Wasel al-Owaid and Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Mahla.
SANA said Khattab indicated in a statement posted on X that the two men are former figures of the deposed bloody regime, and it said the Interior Ministry continues operations targeting deposed regime officials involved in crimes and violations against the Syrian people.
Al-Jazeera Net reported that Interior Minister أنس خطاب said the two criminals, واصل العويد and إبراهيم محلا, are now in our security custody, without providing further details.
The same Al-Jazeera Net account said the crackdown included the arrest of former Major General جايز حمود الموسى last Tuesday, and it added that last week security forces arrested the former head of the Air Intelligence Branch in درعا, خردل أحمد ديوب.
Court sessions and detainees
Al-Jazeera Net said that on 26 April and 10 May of this year, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus held two public sessions to try Brigadier General عاطف نجيب for his involvement in crimes against civilians in the governorate of درعا in the south.
It added that the Public Security Administration forces — affiliated with the Ministry of Interior — arrested نجيب in January 2025 during a security operation to pursue remnants of the former regime in محافظة اللاذقية in the western part of the country.
Sudan Independent reported that the pace of arrests of those linked to the Assad regime is accelerating, extending to those deemed affiliated with the SDF, and it said local sources reported arrests in Raqqa Governorate in the past few days.
The same report said Kurdish citizens counted as affiliated with the 'SDF' were among those detained, and it also mentioned unconfirmed local media reports that Brig. Gen. Talal al-Ali and Brig. Gen. Morhaf al-Salama were arrested.
Transitional justice and politics
Al-Jazeera Net said the Syrian authorities announce arrests of those involved in committing violations against civilians during the years of the revolution that began in March 2011 in the city of درعا in the south, which ended with the rebels entering Damascus and overthrowing نظام الأسد on 8 December 2024. It also said the new Syrian authorities pledged to establish justice and accountability for the atrocities committed during the Assad regime, stressing the importance of transitional justice in this war-torn country.
“Raising the Hamas flag does not reflect a real return.”
In a separate report, Enab Baladi described a revival of popular action in support of the Palestinian cause, including a demonstration in Umayyad Square on Friday, April 3, denouncing the Israeli Knesset's decision to execute Palestinian prisoners. Enab Baladi quoted Syrian political analyst Firas Alawi saying, "Raising the Hamas flag does not reflect a real return," and it said Alawi argued the move in Umayyad Square could be a personal initiative with no official status or endorsement by any party.