Damascus Arrests Drug Trafficker Linked to Maher al-Assad, Others Held Over Tadamon Massacre
Mahfouz was reportedly employed by the ousted regime's Military Intelligence Branch 277 and was responsible for recruitment on behalf of Military Security.
Security forces also arrested two suspects linked to the 2013 massacre in the Tadamon district of Damascus: Kamel Sharif Abbas and Maher Hadeed.
Hadeed, a member of the National Defense Forces, is accused of committing additional war crimes against Syrian civilians. Authorities suspect a connection between Hadeed and Amjad Youssef, the primary suspect in the Tadamon massacre.
The arrests follow just over a month after Syrian security forces captured three individuals involved in the 2013 Tadamon massacre. One of the suspects confessed to killing more than 500 people in the Tadamon district at the start of the revolution against the former regime.
The massacre took place on Nasreen Street in Tadamon, near the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus.
It remained undiscovered for nearly nine years until footage surfaced in April 2022, published by the Guardian. The video revealed Syrian regime forces executing 41 civilians, including seven women and several children.
In related developments, local media sources reported the arrest of Mohannad Naaman, a close associate of Maher al-Assad and senior officers in the Fourth Division.
Naaman, originally from Harasta in the Damascus countryside, is accused of overseeing one of the major captagon pill production sites in both the Damascus countryside and along Syria's coastal region, including a ship anchored off Syria's shores.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
16 minutes ago
- Arab News
Rights groups refer killing of Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza to ICC
LONDON: Two Palestinian rights organizations have filed a case with the International Criminal Court over the killing of six Al Jazeera journalists in an Israeli strike on Gaza City. In a joint statement on Tuesday, the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights called the attack 'a clear-cut criminal act — a war crime and part of a broader genocidal campaign — and it demanded a direct, targeted legal response.' The groups said the strike was part of 'a long war on the press' by Israel, which used 'recycled accusations' that the victims were 'terrorists in press vests.' The attack on Sunday destroyed the team's tent, killing leading correspondent Anas Al-Sharif, correspondent Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameraman Ibrahim Zaher and driver-cameraman Mohammed Noufal. Al Jazeera initially reported five of its staff had been killed but later revised the figure to four. Three others also died in the strike: Freelance cameraman Moamen Aliwa, freelance journalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi and Saad Jundiya, a civilian who was at the scene. The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed the targeting was deliberate, accusing Al-Sharif of leading a Hamas cell and taking part in the Oct. 7 attacks. The allegations followed weeks of public vilification of Al-Sharif by Israeli officials, which had already raised fears for his safety. Breaking: #HindRajabFoundation & @pchrgaza file ICC complaint against those behind killing Anas Al-Sharif & colleagues: Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar, Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor, Gen. A (Unit 8200), Palmachim Airbase Cmdr, 'Black Snake' Sq Cmdr & Col. Avichay Adraee.… — The Hind Rajab Foundation (@HindRFoundation) August 12, 2025 The allegations have been rejected by rights groups, Al-Sharif's colleagues, the UN, European and Arab governments, and Al Jazeera's Qatari parent network, which accused Israel of systematically targeting its journalists to block coverage from Gaza. 'The killings of Anas Al-Sharif and his colleagues are not isolated incidents,' HRF and PCHR said. 'Investigations reveal a systematic policy targeting Al Jazeera journalists.' The Article 15 communication filed with the ICC focuses on both the operational chain of command that led to Al-Sharif's killing — HRF's contribution — and the documented cases of other slain Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza — PCHR's contribution — which the groups say show 'a pattern of premeditation and deliberate targeting.' The group said it filed the complaint against Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, IDF chief of the General Staff; Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, commander of the Israeli Air Force; Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, Southern Command commander; Brig. Gen. Yossi Sariel, former commander of Unit 8200 (Israel's signals intelligence branch); General A., current commander of Unit 8200; the commander of Palmachim Airbase (name undisclosed); the commander of the 'Black Snake' Squadron (name undisclosed); and Col. Avichay Adraee of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, Arab Media Division, who has been accused of leading a sustained smear campaign against Al-Sharif. 'The evidence is there. The legal foundation is unshakable. The jurisdiction is established beyond question,' the statement said. 'What remains is for the International Criminal Court to move past statements of 'grave concern' and take the decisive step that justice demands: act.' The announcement came as US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to condemn Israel over the incident, telling reporters: 'We refer you to Israel for information regarding Al-Sharif.' Bruce expressed respect for journalists in war zones but echoed Israel's allegations — made without evidence — that Hamas fighters have posed as reporters. 'It is a horrible thing to do for those of you committed to finding information to be in that situation,' she said.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Israeli settlers kill 35-year-old Palestinian in Duma
LONDON: Israeli settlers killed a Palestinian man on Wednesday afternoon in Duma village, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Thameen Khalil Reda Dawabsheh, 35, was shot during an attack on the village. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its staff treated Dawabsheh before he succumbed to his wounds. Suleiman Dawabsheh, head of the Duma council, said Israeli settlers attacked residents and opened fire in the southern part of the village during ongoing land-leveling activities, the Wafa news agency reported. Since January, at least 10 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers, bringing the death toll to 30 since late 2023, according to Wafa.
Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Fresh protest against Gaza war erupts in Greece over arrival of Israeli cruise ship
ATHENS — Fresh demonstrations against Israel's military offensive in Gaza erupted in Greece on Wednesday, with protesters clashing with police as an Israeli cruise ship docked in the port city of Volos. There have been several protests at various Greek ports in recent weeks against the Crown Iris cruise ship, which is operated by Israeli shipping giant Mano Maritime and is currently touring around Greece. Local communities unfurled huge Palestinian flags and chanted pro-Palestine slogans as Israeli tourists disembarked from the cruise ship. In the coastal city of Volos, located some 330 kilometres north of Athens, demonstrators protesting the arrival of the Crown Iris were dispersed by riot police using stun grenades. The Israeli tourists were still able to disembark the ship and board buses for tours of nearby Mount Pilio and the Meteora monastery complex in Thessaly, local media reported. Meanwhile, the protesters left the port and continued their pro-Palestine march through the main streets of the city. Last month, the Crown Iris left the Greek island of Syros early without its passengers disembarking after more than 150 protesters demonstrated at the island's port."It is unacceptable that tourists from Israel continue to be welcomed here while the Palestinians are suffering in the [Gaza] Strip," the protesters said on social some Greeks have denounced the protests, including the country's Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis."We owe an apology to these friends of Greece who chose to spend their holidays here and were forcibly denied it by some," he wrote on X last month following the incident in Syros. "Our country remains hospitable to all and antisemitism has no place here!"Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar contacted his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, over the Syros incident. Israel has reportedly stressed to Greece that the protests against the Crown Iris could end up harming Israeli tourism in the is a popular tourist destination for Israelis on package tours and travelling independently, particularly in the summer months, and there are several flights per day between Tel Aviv and Athens, as well as from Israeli airports directly to Greek islands. — Euronews
