Syrian internal security forces announced on Thursday, 8 October 2026, the arrest of seven wanted former regime members during security operations focused in Hama province in central Syria. It said the detainees were accused of involvement in crimes and violations against civilians during the years of the Syrian revolution between 2011 and 2024, adding that investigations were continuing to complete legal procedures and refer them to the competent court.
Shaheen al-Shaheen arrested and accused of violations
In a statement, the internal security forces said intelligence monitoring and follow-up operations had led to the arrest of Shaheen Hamdan al-Shaheen, whom it described as one of the founders of the Hawks Regiment militia during the rule of the former regime.
According to the statement, investigations showed that al-Shaheen began working with the Air Force Intelligence Directorate in 2015 under Major General Suhail al-Hassan, a commander in the disbanded regime army, before later taking part in establishing armed groups on a large scale. Al-Hassan was a close officer of former regime president Bashar al-Assad and was known as “the Tiger”. His name was linked to military campaigns and events in several Syrian areas, including the displacement of residents from eastern Aleppo.
The campaigns he led were also known for the extensive use of barrel bombs, which killed thousands of civilians in various parts of Syria, according to the source material. The security forces’ statement accused al-Shaheen of direct involvement in massacres against civilians, most notably in the eastern Hama countryside and along the Athriya–Raqqa road in 2017.
It added that he led his groups in operations which, according to the statement, included killing, arrest, torture and destruction in the city of Palmyra, extending into Deir ez-Zor province until 2019. The Hawks Regiment was one of the largest formations affiliated with the Tiger Forces and included groups from villages and towns that supported the former regime.
Faisal Badour and Asif Salameh arrested
The arrests also included Faisal Badour, a former member of militias affiliated with Suhail al-Hassan’s forces, and Asif Salameh, who had been a non-commissioned officer at the defence plants belonging to the former regime’s army. The security forces said Badour had volunteered with armed groups from 2012 that took part in several military campaigns in the Hama and Aleppo countryside, and that he was known as the “Tiger’s Foal”, accusing him of mistreating civilians.
According to the statement, Badour remained involved with those groups until the fall of the regime in December 2024. As for Asif Salameh, he volunteered in the ranks of Assad’s forces and worked as an assistant at the defence plants until 2018.
The statement provided no further details about the specific incidents attributed to Salameh, while listing him among the detainees accused of committing violations during the years of the revolution. The security forces also announced the arrest of four other former regime members, saying they were accused of committing crimes, massacres and serious violations against civilians.
Accusations linked to events in Aqrab village
It said Nabil Adnan Ismail and Ghazi Mohammad Ismail had served as group commanders within formations linked to Air Force Intelligence, accusing them of involvement in abduction, looting and massacres against local residents, including direct participation in events in Aqrab village, as well as abducting civilians and extorting money from them.
Aqrab village in the Hama countryside witnessed deadly events in December 2012. The town’s media office said it was subjected at the time to heavy shelling from Hama airport and from checkpoints stationed in surrounding villages, and also suffered a siege and shortages of food and medicines. According to the office, the consequences faced by the village continued until its residents were displaced in 2018.
Accusations of exploiting detainee files and extorting their families
The list of detainees also included brothers Taher Youssef al-Mohammad and Talal Youssef al-Mohammad, who served in the Air Force Intelligence Directorate and the Scientific Studies and Research Centre. The security forces’ statement said records showed their involvement in repression and arrests, accusing them of exploiting their official positions to access detainee files and extort their families.
It confirmed that the competent authorities were continuing to investigate all the detainees ahead of taking legal measures and referring them to the competent court. The arrests are part of a series of operations carried out by the Syrian authorities to pursue those accused of committing violations during the rule of the former regime.
On 2 October 2026, the arrest of 26 people between September and 28 September was announced, including military commanders, officers and former security service members.
Those operations covered the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, Idlib, Damascus, Daraa and Deir ez-Zor, amid accusations of violating civilians’ rights, as part of efforts which the authorities say are aimed at achieving transitional justice and holding those responsible for crimes to account.
