Syria releases 28 Assad-era soldiers

Syrian authorities have released 28 former soldiers of the Assad regime-era military, including officers of various ranks, in the second such batch since the prison uprising at Adra facility in rural Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported Sunday.

Among those released were officers holding the rank of major, as well as several non-commissioned officers. According to the Observatory, the individuals had been detained since the fall of the regime on December 8.

The released personnel were former volunteers in the ousted regime’s forces and that “their hands were not stained with blood” – according to sources cited by Al-Watan news outlet.

On March 30, authorities released 16 detainees from Adra Prison in a similar move. They were transferred to areas in Latakia and Syria’s coastal region on the eve of Easter.