Latest news with #PFLP-GC
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Uncertain Future for the PFLP-GC in Post-Assad Syria
The brief detention of Talal Naji, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), by Syrian authorities has renewed scrutiny over the status of Palestinian factions still operating in Syria, particularly those that aligned with the former Assad regime. Naji's arrest and swift release come amid a major political realignment following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024. Once one of the most active and heavily armed Palestinian groups in Syria, the PFLP-GC now faces an uncertain future, along with other factions that were long tolerated—or even supported—under Assad's rule. A well-informed Palestinian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new Syrian administration has appointed a figure known as Abu Abdul Rahman al-Shami to oversee the file of Palestinian factions. Since assuming the role, al-Shami has convened multiple meetings with faction representatives, including regular attendees from the PFLP-GC, to discuss the fate of their fighters, weapons, property, and military infrastructure. According to the source, al-Shami has made it clear that the new government intends to hold accountable any individuals or groups implicated in crimes against Syrian civilians during the civil war. Palestinian factions have been instructed to surrender all weapons and military equipment, and to limit their activities to humanitarian and relief work. The PFLP-GC, the source said, has largely complied. Despite the fall of the Assad regime, Naji and much of the PFLP-GC's second- and third-tier leadership have remained in Syria. Its offices in Damascus reportedly continue to operate, though under heightened scrutiny. Other faction leaders, however, have fled. Among them are Khaled Abdul Majid (Popular Struggle Front), Ziyad al-Saghir (Fatah–Intifada), Mohammad al-Saeed (Liwa al-Quds), and Saed Abdel Al (Free Palestine Movement). Most are believed to have sought refuge in Lebanon. Sources confirmed that several PFLP-GC fighters have been detained in recent weeks in connection with alleged war crimes committed during their cooperation with Assad's forces. The Syrian government has also moved to seize faction offices and military installations across the country, including properties belonging to Fatah–Intifada, the Free Palestine Movement, and the Sa'iqa Forces. Sa'iqa's leader, Mohammad Qais, remains in Syria. In a further blow, authorities have reportedly frozen bank accounts belonging to some Palestinian factions, both in state and private banks, although it remains unclear whether the PFLP-GC is among them. Additionally, it is widely believed that the PFLP-GC has handed over its military training camps, which were previously spread across Damascus countryside, Daraa, Aleppo, and Suwayda. 'The situation is extremely sensitive, and everyone is anxious,' one Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat. 'It's likely they've surrendered those sites.' The sense of unease deepened last month when Syrian authorities detained two senior Islamic Jihad officials in Damascus: Khaled Khaled, head of the group's Syria bureau, and Abu Ali Yasser, its chief organizational officer. Both remain in custody, and no official charges have been announced. The current atmosphere of fear and uncertainty has driven faction leaders to avoid public comment. Most now insist on anonymity when speaking to local or international media. Before the outbreak of the Syrian uprising in March 2011, Syria hosted more than a dozen Palestinian factions. As the conflict escalated, the Assad regime encouraged the formation of new pro-regime groups, composed largely of Palestinian refugees, to fight alongside its forces.
Arab News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria briefly detains head of Palestinian group: faction officials
DAMASCUS: Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command officials said Syrian Arab Republic authorities on Saturday briefly detained the head of the faction, which was close to ousted ruler Bashar Assad's government. Talal Naji's detention came just weeks after Palestinian group Islamic Jihad's armed wing said the new authorities had held two of its officials on unspecified charges. The United States, which considers Palestinian factions including the PFLP-GC to be 'terrorist' organizations, has said Washington will not ease Assad-era sanctions on Syria until it has verified progress on priorities including acting against 'terrorism.' An official from the Damascus-based PFLP-GC, requesting anonymity as the matter is sensitive, told AFP that 'secretary-general Talal Naji was arrested' in the city. Another official confirmed the arrest, while a third faction source said 'Naji was asked... to report to one of the security branches and has not returned. Most likely he was arrested.' Two PFLP-GC officials later confirmed Naji had been released, with one saying he was held for 10 hours and freed after 'local and international mediation.' The official said it remained unclear why he had been arrested. The second source confirmed Naji's release, saying: 'He's at home and in good health.' Last month, a statement from the Al-Quds Brigades said Islamic Jihad's Syria official Khaled Khaled and organizing committee member Yasser Al-Zafri had been detained for days 'without explanation.' The Iran-backed group expressed hope 'that our brothers in the Syrian government' will free the pair, noting their detention comes as the group is 'fighting the Zionist enemy' in the Gaza Strip. In late March, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Syria's new authorities should 'fully renounce and suppress terrorism, exclude foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles (and) prevent Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory.' The PFLP-GC was founded in 1968 after breaking away from the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. When conflict erupted in Syria in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests, the PFLP-GC stood firmly by Assad's government. After militants and rebels overran parts of the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus in 2012, the PFLP-GC's armed wing fought alongside Syrian government forces to take it back. The group is designated as a 'terrorist organization' by the United States and European Union and is accused of masterminding the deadly bombing of Swissair Flight SR330 in February 1970, as well as several attacks on Israeli civilians.
Asharq Al-Awsat
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria Detains Damascus-Based Leader of Prominent Palestinian Faction
Syria on Saturday detained a prominent Damascus-based Palestinian official whose group was close to the government of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Talal Naji, 79, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, or PFLP-GC, was detained Saturday morning shortly after he left his house with a driver and two guards, a Palestinian official told The Associated Press. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, added that shortly after Naji was detained near his home in the Mazze neighborhood, security officials came to his home and questioned two unarmed guards for about an hour. A Syrian government official told the AP that Naji was taken for questioning and should be released later. The official spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to speak to the media. The PFLP-GC became known for dramatic attacks against Israel, including the hijacking an El Al jetliner in 1968 and the machine gunning of another airliner at Zurich airport in 1969. In 1970, it planted a bomb on a Swissair jet that blew up on a flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv, killing all 47 on aboard. Naji's arrest comes nearly two weeks after Syrian authorities detained two members of the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. The group identified the two officials arrested at the time as its leader in Syria Khaled Khaled and another senior official Yasser Zafari. The Islamic Jihad took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that triggered the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Under Assad, several Palestinians factions were based in Syria and some of them remained after the fall of his 54-year Assad family in December.
Shafaq News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Hours in custody: Syria briefly detains PFLP-GC Secretary-General
Shafaq News/ Syrian authorities briefly detained Talal Naji, Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), on Saturday before releasing him hours later, a senior Palestinian official told Al-Mayadeen. Earlier in the day, Syrian media reported that General Security forces had arrested Naji along with his chief of staff in Damascus. No official statement has been issued by the Syrian government. The PFLP-GC, a splinter faction from the original Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has operated out of Syria since its founding in 1968. The group supported former President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war. Naji's brief detention is the latest in a series of arrests targeting Palestinian factions operating in Syria. In April, security forces detained two senior officials from Palestinian Islamic Jihad — Khaled Khaled and Abu Ali Yasser — shortly after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visited Damascus for talks with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. At the time, Syrian media reported that the detainees were suspected of collaborating with Iran.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Syria detains head of Palestinian group based in Damascus: Faction officials
Syria detains head of Palestinian group based in Damascus: Faction officials (Photo: AP) Officials of a small Palestinian militant group that was close to ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said their leader was arrested Saturday by the country's new Islamist-led authorities. The arrest of the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) came after the armed wing of another Palestinian militant group, Islamic Jihad, said last month that the new authorities had detained two of its officials on unspecified charges. The United States, which blacklists both Palestinian the PFLP-GC and Islamic Jihad as "terrorist" organisations, has said it will not ease Assad-era sanctions on Syria until it has verified progress on priorities including acting against "terrorism". Speaking on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the issue, a PFLP official told AFP that "secretary general Talal Naji was arrested" in Damascus. A second official confirmed the arrest, while a third said: "Naji was asked... to report to one of the security branches and has not returned. Most likely he was arrested." The first official said the faction had contacted Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and senior Hamas official Khaled Meshaal "to request their urgent intervention". Last month, a statement from Islamic Jihad's military wing said that the group's Syria representative Khaled Khaled and organising committee member Yasser al-Zafri had been detained in Syria for days "without explanation". It expressed hope "that our brothers in the Syrian government" would release the pair, noting their detention came as the group is "fighting the Zionist enemy" in Gaza alongside its ally Hamas. Syria hosted Palestinian rejectionist factions for decades under the Assad family's rule when it was part of the Iran-backed "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States. In late March, US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Syria's new authorities should "fully renounce and suppress terrorism, exclude foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles (and) prevent Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory". The PFLP-GC was founded in 1968 after breaking away from the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. When conflict erupted in Syria in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests, the PFLP-GC stood firmly by Assad's government. After rebels, including jihadists, overran parts of the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus in 2012, the PFLP-GC's armed wing fought alongside Syrian government forces to take it back. The group has been accused of masterminding the bombing of Swissair Flight SR330 in February 1970, as well as several attacks against Israeli civilians. Naji was elected secretary general in 2021 after the death of the group's founder Ahmad Jibril.
