Former Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham has been detained by Syria's Internal Security Forces on accusations of participating in the 1982 Hama massacre and ordering troops to shoot unarmed protesters during the 2011 uprising. Durgham is said to have served as a field commander in the elite Fourth Division. The arrest is part of a broader campaign by Syria's post-2024 authorities to investigate alleged abuses by former regime officials.
Syria Detains Assad-Era General Accused Over 1982 Hama Massacre and 2011 Crackdown
A member of the former Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the overthrow of former leader Bashar al-Assad, stands guard at the Fourth Division headquarters [File: Yamam Al Shaar/Reuters]
Syrian authorities have announced the detention of former Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham, accused of involvement in the 1982 Hama massacre and of ordering troops to fire on unarmed protesters during the 2011 uprising.
Details Of The Arrest
The country's Internal Security Forces said on Monday that Durgham was arrested as part of an ongoing campaign to investigate alleged abuses under the previous regime. The statement described him as 'a prominent officer in the military establishment during the era of the former regime' and accused him of issuing a 'direct order' to open fire on protesters in the Damascus countryside.
Allegations And Past Roles
Human Rights Watch in 2011 cited a Syrian army defector who named Durgham among the generals who 'ordered the troops to shoot at protesters when his unit was deployed to areas in and just outside of Damascus.' Officials say Durgham served as a field commander in the army's Fourth Division, the elite unit led by Maher al-Assad, between 2009 and 2013. Authorities also say he began his military career as a squad commander in the Defence Brigades during the events in Hama Governorate in 1982.
'He was one of the generals who ordered the troops to shoot at protesters,' cited Human Rights Watch, quoting a defector from the Syrian army.
Context: Hama 1982 And Recent Political Change
On February 2, 1982, then-President Hafez al-Assad launched a brutal assault on Hama amid an information blackout. Estimates of the death toll from the nearly month-long siege vary widely, with figures often cited between 10,000 and 40,000.
The arrest comes amid a wave of detentions by Syria's new authorities, which the state says are led by figures from the former rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Those authorities deposed President Bashar al-Assad in 2024 and have since said they are pursuing former officials accused of crimes and abuses under the previous regime.
Ongoing Investigations
State-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that former Major-General Jalal Kamel Saqr was detained last week over alleged war crimes and arbitrary detentions. Rights groups and international observers will likely watch the handling of these cases closely, calling for transparent investigations and fair legal processes for suspects and for victims seeking accountability.
Sources: Internal Security Forces statement; Human Rights Watch (2011); SANA (state news).
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