Syrian Authorities Arrest Coordinator Between Assad Regime and IRGC

Asharq Al-Awsat

24-03-2025

Syrian authorities have arrested a high-ranking officer closely associated with Maher al-Assad, commander of the Fourth Division and brother of the ousted president. The officer was responsible for coordinating between former regime officials and commanders of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The Public Security Directorate in Deir ez-Zor province, eastern Syria, announced the arrest of Brigadier General Abdul Karim Ahmed Al-Hamada, who previously oversaw reconciliation efforts with the former regime. He also served as a key liaison between ex-regime officers and IRGC leaders.
Security forces have ramped up operations targeting remnants of the deposed Assad regime across various regions of the country.
Authorities also detained Lieutenant Colonel Orouwa Deeb, a former officer in the Military Security Branch of Homs province, as he attempted to flee to Lebanon from the town of Al-Aqrabiya in western Al-Qusayr.
Local media reported on Friday that Brigadier General Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid, a senior figure in the tribal operations room in Deir ez-Zor, was arrested alongside his son, Ahmed Abdul Karim Al-Muhaimid.
This came just hours after the arrest of Moayad Al-Duwaihi, known as 'Haj Jawad,' the commander of the pro-IRGC 'Sayyida Zainab Brigade' militia in Al-Mayadin and its surrounding areas in eastern Deir ez-Zor.
Earlier, security forces had also apprehended Yasser Matroud, the former head of the media office for the pro-Assad 'National Defense Militia' in Deir ez-Zor.
According to local sources, Al-Muhaimid played a significant role last summer as head of the tribal operations room under the Assad regime. He reportedly collaborated with the Fourth Division's 104th Brigade to stoke clashes between tribal forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), allegedly at Iran's direction.
In a related development, the Internal Security Directorate announced the discovery of weapons and ammunition hidden inside a well in the town of Al-Madabaa' in eastern rural Homs. Officials stated that the arms were intended for future attacks by former regime operatives, according to Syria's state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV.
Additionally, the Public Security Directorate in Latakia province uncovered a weapons depot in the city of Qardaha. Security officials also received firearms voluntarily handed over by tribal leaders in the villages of Al-Boudi and Al-Qalai'a in Jableh, as part of ongoing efforts to control the spread of arms and ensure they remain under state control.