Syrian authorities arrest two ex-intelligence officers over war crimes

The Syrian General Security Directorate announced Thursday the arrest of Tayseer Mahfoud, one of the country’s most wanted individuals accused of committing war crimes against civilians.

The arrest followed a tightly coordinated security operation carried out by specialized units in collaboration with the Tartus Security Directorate.

According to Damascus Security Chief Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Rahman Al-Dabbagh, the operation was the result of detailed intelligence surveillance that pinpointed Mahfoud’s location in the coastal city of Tartus. A carefully planned ambush led to his arrest without significant resistance.

Mahfoud is considered among the most notorious perpetrators of human rights violations during the conflict. He previously served with the Syrian Military Intelligence Branch 215—specifically the “Raid Unit”—and is believed to have been directly involved in the arrest and enforced disappearance of more than 200 civilians, mostly from the Mazzeh and Kafar Sousah municipalities in Damascus, according to the General Security Directorate.

Lt. Col. Dabbagh reaffirmed the government's commitment to pursuing all individuals responsible for crimes against the Syrian people, stressing that justice will prevail and the war crimes file will remain open until all perpetrators are held accountable.

In a related development, Syria’s Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of Suleiman Al-Tinawi, a former brigadier general in the Air Force Intelligence in the Assad regime, who is accused of orchestrating mass killings of civilians, including the Jayrud massacre in rural Damascus in July 2016.

According to a security statement, Tinawi was captured in a specialized operation carried out by the Latakia Security Directorate.

The ministry confirmed his involvement in coordinating violent crackdowns in cooperation with leaders from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and domestic sectarian groups. He reportedly provided both logistical and intelligence support during the regime’s brutal suppression of dissent in the early years of the uprising.