The Interior Ministry said security raids conducted over the past two days in Daraa, Aleppo and Idlib resulted in the detention of several individuals wanted for alleged involvement in abuses and security violations during Assad’s rule.

According to a ministry source cited by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), those arrested include a former commander of the First Corps, a former head of the security and military committee in southern Syria, a former officer in the Republican Guard and a former guard at Saydnaya prison, a facility long associated with allegations of torture and mistreatment of detainees.

The arrests form part of a broader campaign launched by the Syrian authorities to identify, detain and prosecute former regime figures accused of human rights violations, unlawful detentions and other offenses during more than a decade of conflict.

The latest operation follows the arrest earlier this week of Osama Mahmoud Hamouda, a former non-commissioned officer detained in the coastal province of Latakia.

Internal Security Forces said Hamouda was apprehended after an extensive surveillance operation while allegedly attempting to flee the country with assistance from criminal networks.

Authorities accuse Hamouda of supplying information to intelligence agencies, participating in arbitrary detention campaigns and engaging in financial extortion against civilians during the Assad era.

Brig. Gen. Abdul Aziz Hilal Al-Ahmad, head of Internal Security in Latakia, said investigators had been tracking Hamouda for an extended period before carrying out the arrest.

The detentions come amid broader efforts by Syria’s new authorities to establish a transitional justice framework following the collapse of the Assad government.

Attorney General Hassan Al-Turba said on Wednesday that pursuing individuals accused of major crimes was essential to restoring public trust in state institutions and advancing national reconciliation.

Speaking to SANA, Al-Turba said the Ministry of Justice was coordinating with the Interior Ministry, the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons to document violations and bring suspects before the courts.

He said authorities had implemented measures to prevent wanted individuals from leaving Syria, including travel restrictions, arrest warrants issued in absentia and efforts to track fugitives through international legal mechanisms.

The attorney general added that Syrian authorities were seeking cooperation through Interpol, bilateral agreements and diplomatic channels to locate and return suspects believed to be outside the country.

Al-Turba also said witness-protection programs had been introduced to encourage testimony from victims and witnesses, while international organizations were providing technical support, training and institutional assistance to strengthen judicial processes.

“Prosecuting major criminals is not merely a judicial procedure,” Al-Turba said, describing accountability as a necessary component of transitional justice and long-term stability.

The latest arrests underscore the scale of the challenge facing Syria’s post-Assad administration as it seeks to address allegations of past abuses while balancing demands for justice, accountability and national reconciliation after years of conflict.