Syria’s General Intelligence Service has arrested Ali Kayali, a former militia commander accused of involvement in the killing of hundreds of civilians during the country’s civil war, as Damascus steps up efforts to hold those suspected of crimes under the former government accountable, Euronews reported, citing state-run SANA news agency.
Kayali, also known as Mihrac Ural, commanded an armed militia that fought alongside forces loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war. He was involved in military operations in several parts of Syria, including the coastal provinces, and is accused of playing a leading role in the 2013 massacres in the village of Bayda and the city of Baniyas.
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, hundreds of civilians, including women and children, were killed in Bayda and in the Ras al-Nabeh area of Baniyas. Human Rights Watch separately documented at least 248 deaths in the two locations and said the actual toll was likely higher.
His detention comes as Syria’s new authorities seek to establish a transitional justice process following the fall of the Assad government in December 2024. Syrian officials say the effort is intended to bring those responsible for serious crimes to justice and address abuses committed during more than a decade of conflict.
Kayali’s detention follows the Oct. 4 arrest of Jamal Trabulsi, identified by Syrian authorities as his former deputy. Syrian security forces have also detained other former government officials and militia members accused of abuses against civilians.