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.

The Interior Ministry said the group had been planning operations aimed at undermining security and stability in Homs, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), as the government intensifies efforts to reassert control across the country following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024.

Security forces confiscated anti-tank missile launchers, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, RPG launchers and large quantities of ammunition during the operation, the ministry said.

It described the raid as part of broader efforts to track and dismantle sleeper cells and eliminate what it called the remaining sources of terrorism across Syrian territory.Authorities did not identify the group involved or specify whether it had links to Daesh or other militant organizations still active in parts of Syria.

Syria has faced recurring security threats since the collapse of the Assad regime, with attacks targeting both domestic security forces and foreign military personnel operating in the country.In December, an attack on a joint patrol near Palmyra in Homs province killed two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter, while injuring three U.S. service members and two Syrian security personnel.

The incident underscored continuing instability in central Syria, where remnants of militant networks continue to operate despite years of military campaigns against insurgent groups.In November, Syria became the 90th member of the Global Coalition against Daesh, the international alliance formed in 2014 to combat the militant group after it seized large parts of Syria and northern Iraq.

Although Daesh no longer controls major territory, security officials and international observers continue to warn that the group retains the capacity to conduct insurgent attacks, particularly in remote desert areas and regions with weakened state control.

The latest operation in Homs reflects Damascus’ effort to project authority and reassure both domestic and international partners that it can contain militant threats as the country navigates a fragile post-Assad transition.