Syrian authorities arrest Assad-era officer linked to Damascus chemical attacks

Syrian authorities announced Friday the arrest of a former brigadier accused of involvement in the 2013 chemical attack on Eastern Ghouta and other crimes committed under the regime of deposed President Bashar al-Assad.

An Interior Ministry statement said security forces arrested Khardal Ahmad Dayyub, a former brigadier general in the ousted regime and former head of Air Force Intelligence in Daraa.

According to the statement, Dayyub was directly involved in "systematic violations against civilians," including a role in chemical attacks during his service in the Damascus regional branch while stationed in the Harasta area near the capital.

Authorities said he supervised repressive operations and contributed to logistical coordination for the shelling of Eastern Ghouta with internationally banned chemical weapons.

The statement added that he also oversaw "an assassination committee in Daraa, recruiting operatives for field executions, and coordinating with Iranian intelligence services and Hezbollah."

The ministry further said Dayyub facilitated the movement of foreign operatives inside Syrian territory under official security cover.

Officials said he had been referred to the judiciary for further investigation and legal proceedings.

More than 1,400 people were killed and over 10,000 injured, most of them women and children, in the Aug. 21, 2013 chemical attack on Eastern and Western Ghouta near Damascus, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

The new Syrian administration has repeatedly announced arrests of individuals accused of committing abuses against civilians during the 2011-2024 conflict as part of efforts to pursue accountability.

Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, bringing an end to the Baath Party's decades-long rule that began in 1963. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January 2025.