Syria18 September, 20263 min read
Syrian Internal Security Arrests Five Assad-Era Air Force Officers Over Strikes On Populated Areas
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Five former air force officers arrested in Tartus over Assad-era airstrikes on civilians. Pilots, field commanders among those detained; operations coordinated with Counter Terrorism Directorate.
8 outlets told this the same way.
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Tartus arrests five officers
Syrian internal security forces in the coastal Tartus Governorate arrested five senior officers and leaders of the deposed regime’s air force over their alleged involvement in aerial bombardment operations targeting populated areas during the Syrian revolution. Colonel Abdul Aal Mohammad Abdul Aal, head of internal security in Tartus, said in a statement carried by SANA that "our specialized units, in cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Administration, carried out a series of precise security operations, resulting in the arrest of five senior officers and leaders of the toppled regime's air force." The detainees were identified as Lieutenant General Mohammad Fajr Ali, Brigadier General Pilot Abdullah Ali Maala, Colonel Pilot Nidal Hussein Saleh, Colonel Mohammad Ali Saleem, and Major Pilot Talib Abdul Kareem Hassan.
The arrests were described as part of campaigns to pursue officials and elements of the toppled regime involved in crimes and violations against the Syrian people, with Abdul Aal saying investigations and military records showed the detainees’ involvement in planning, managing, and executing air raids that targeted populated areas. The same SANA-linked account said investigations were ongoing to determine criminal responsibilities and that those found responsible would be referred to the competent judiciary under legal procedures.
Latakia pilots and ongoing cases
The arrests in Tartus followed an earlier announcement from Latakia, where the commander of internal security in the governorate, Major General Abdul Aziz Al-Ahmad, said on September 10 that internal security forces arrested nine pilots involved in war crimes against the Syrian people. Al-Ahmad said the nine pilots included Brigadier General Munhil Anwar Saleh, Brigadier General Sami Ibrahim Mahmoud, Brigadier General Giyath Ali Al-Rihiyya, Colonel Isa Ezzedine Khodour, Colonel Mrowan Salah Nafash, Colonel Bashar Samir Nawas, Major Ayaan Hamza Ali, Captain Ayaan Ahmed Dawood, and Captain Ammar Eisa Junaydi. A source at the Ministry of Interior told SANA that preliminary investigations showed the nine pilots "logged more than 3,200 flight hours and air sorties since the start of the blessed Syrian revolution".
The same SANA-linked reporting said the pilots used attack helicopters and fighter jets to execute air raids targeting areas including Eastern Ghouta, the city of Aleppo and its countryside, Deir ez-Zor and its countryside, and the countryside of Hama. Al Jazeera also described the five Tartus detainees as being arrested in operations coordinated with the Counter Terrorism Directorate, with investigations ongoing before referral for trial.
Accountability and trial path
Multiple outlets framed the arrests as part of Syria’s post-Assad accountability drive, with Al Jazeera saying Syria’s new government has arrested dozens of former security officials since Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024. Al Jazeera also reported that Syria sentenced Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad, and five other security officials to death in absentia in August for atrocities committed during the civil war. The National described the Tartus arrests as targeting former air force officers accused of planning and carrying out strikes that resulted in civilian casualties and the destruction of residential areas, and it said the operations were carried out in the coastal province of Tartus.
In the same reporting, Abdul Aal Mohammad Abdul Aal said the arrests followed investigations finding the officers were involved in "planning, management and execution of air strikes … that targeted populated areas, resulting in the destruction of residential areas and infrastructure". The SANA account said investigations continue to determine individual criminal responsibility for each detainee before forwarding cases to competent courts in accordance with legal procedures, while Al Jazeera said investigations were ongoing before referral for trial.