Key facts
- Nine former military pilots have been arrested in Syria's Lattaika province.
- The pilots are accused of war crimes, including causing casualties and extensive damage.
- Three arrested Generals are Menhel Anwar Saleh, Sami Ibrahim Mahmoud, and Ghayath Ali Rehyé.
- Syria's Ministry of Interior reported 6,331 detainees suspected of crimes against Syrians in 2025.
- Authorities are investigating the former regime's chemical weapons program.
- Syrian authorities have arrested individuals linked to the chemical weapons massacre in Eastern Ghouta.
Syrian Internal Security forces have arrested nine former military pilots in Lattaika province, accusing them of war crimes against Syrian civilians, according to state news agency SANA. The arrests were the result of extensive surveillance, intelligence gathering, and a series of planned security operations.
Three of the arrested officers were identified as Generals Menhel Anwar Saleh, Sami Ibrahim Mahmoud, and Ghayath Ali Rehyé. SANA reported that their alleged crimes resulted in a large number of casualties, extensive damage to towns and villages, and the displacement of residents.
According to Syria's Ministry of Interior, the total number of detainees suspected of crimes against Syrians reached 6,331 in 2025. The ministry stated that it dismantled multiple armed cells and arrested over 6,000 people accused of involvement in crimes and attempts to destabilize the country, including senior officers linked to the former Assad-era security apparatus and members of the Islamic State group. The ministry also announced arrests related to the chemical weapons massacre in Eastern Ghouta, including Major General Adnan Abboud Halwa and Colonel Ahmed Habib Ali, a chemical weapons specialist.
A transitional justice official stated that around 70 percent of Assad-era pilots involved in bombing civilian areas have been arrested as chemical weapons investigations continue. The arrested pilots are expected to be tried at the criminal court in Damascus.