At least 14 members of the security forces were killed on Wednesday, December 25, in Khirbet al-Ma’zah, in western Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH). Three armed men were also killed during an operation aimed at arresting an official linked to the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, involved in the management of the infamous Saydnaya prison.
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“ Fourteen members of the Interior Ministry were killed and 10 others injured after (…) a deceitful ambush set by the elders of the criminal regime » in the province of Tartous (West). That ” as they carried out their duties of maintaining safety and security », Wrote the new Minister of the Interior Mohammed Abdel Rahman, in a press release.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH), for its part, reported 17 deaths during clashes between armed men and security forces who were trying to arrest a government officer in Tartous. The latter is accused of being “ one of those responsible for crimes at Saydnaya prison ”, near Damascus. Fourteen members of the security services were killed, as well as “ three armed men », according to the OSDH.
The NGO specifies that the wanted man, a former director of military justice identified as Mohammed Kanjo Hassan, was accused of being “ one of those responsible for crimes at Saydnaya prison “. It became infamous for its inhumane conditions and its central role in the violent repression carried out by the Assad clan. This ex-officer would have “ pronounced death sentences and arbitrary judgments against thousands of prisoners », according to the OSDH.
The clashes broke out after “ residents refused to have their homes searched », added the NGO, specifying that “ dozens of people » had been arrested. The officer’s brother and armed men blocked the security forces, ambushing them near the village and targeting one of the patrol vehicles.
Saydnaya prison, located north of Damascus, has become a symbol of the repression exercised by the Assad clan on the Syrian population, particularly since the start of the civil war in 2011. Thousands of detainees, crammed into this prison which Amnesty International has described it as “ human slaughterhouse », were released by the Syrian rebels who seized power in Damascus on December 8.
Also listenOmar, former inmate of Syria’s Saydnaya prison: ‘It’s incredible to see people freed by their own people’
Former rebel groups welcome their dissolution and reorganization of the army
This incident comes as the Syrian government announced a vast reorganization of the security forces. In Damascus, the armed factions agreed to dissolve to unify under the aegis of the Ministry of Defense, headed by Ahmed Al-Sharaa, reports our special envoy in Damascus, Mohamed Errami.
The agreement marks a crucial step in Syria’s military reorganization, giving former armed groups official status after years of disorder.
Insh’Allah, in the coming days, we will be a unified army, integrated under the aegis of the Ministry of Defense.
In Syria, the armed factions of the Assad regime join the new authorities
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