Syrian security arrests former Assad militia member accused of war crimes in Deir ez-Zor

Syrian security forces announced Friday the arrest of a war crimes suspect from the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime in the Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria.

The Deir ez-Zor governor's office said the General Security Directorate in Deir ez-Zor arrested Abdullah Al-Kaysoum from the village of Al-Jafra.

The suspect "was previously affiliated with the National Defense militia" under the deposed regime, according to the statement.

It added that Al-Kaysoum is known for committing multiple crimes, including the mutilation of corpses, noting that he was an aide to "criminal Issam Zahreddine, who was a brigadier-general in the Republican Guard forces of the former regime."

Security forces said Saturday that they arrested Brig. Gen. Abdel Karim Al-Hamada, a close associate of Maher Assad, the brother of the ousted Bashar Assad.

After the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, the new authorities launched an initiative to settle the status of former regime members in the military and security forces, contingent on their surrendering weapons and remaining untainted by bloodshed.

While tens of thousands accepted the initiative, some armed groups made up of regime remnants, particularly in the coastal region where high-ranking Assad officers were stationed, rejected the proposal.

Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.