Syrian Authorities Arrest Coordinator Between Assad Regime and IRGC

A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 
A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 
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Syrian Authorities Arrest Coordinator Between Assad Regime and IRGC

A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 
A cache of various weapons and ammunition was found hidden inside an abandoned well in the village of Al- Madabaa’ in eastern rural Homs (Syrian Interior Ministry). 

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.

 

 

 

 



Israeli Strikes Kill Palestinians Protecting Gaza Aid Trucks from Looters

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip May 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip May 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
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Israeli Strikes Kill Palestinians Protecting Gaza Aid Trucks from Looters

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip May 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip May 23, 2025. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa

Israeli airstrikes killed at least six Palestinians guarding aid trucks against looters, Hamas officials said on Friday, underlining the problems hindering supplies from reaching hungry people in Gaza following Israel's 11-week-long blockade.

The Israeli military said 107 trucks carrying flour and other foodstuffs as well as medical supplies entered the Gaza Strip from the Kerem Shalom crossing point on Thursday. But getting the supplies to people sheltering in tents and other makeshift accommodation has been fitful.

So far, an umbrella network of Palestinian aid groups said, 119 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Israel eased its blockade on Monday in the face of an international outcry. But distribution has been hampered by looting by groups of men, some of them armed, near the city of Khan Younis, the network said, Reuters reported.

"They stole food meant for children and families suffering from severe hunger," the network said in a statement, which also condemned Israeli airstrikes on security teams protecting the trucks.

A Hamas official said six members of a security team tasked with guarding the shipments were killed.

The aid groups network also said the amount of aid coming into Gaza was still inadequate and only included a narrow range of supplies. It said Israel's agreement to allow trucks to enter the war-shattered enclave was a "deceptive manoeuvre" to avoid international pressure calling for the lifting of the blockade.

The Israeli military said it had conducted more strikes in Gaza overnight, hitting 75 targets, including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers.

Israel imposed its blockade on Gaza in early March, accusing Hamas of stealing aid intended for civilians, shortly before breaking a two-month-old ceasefire after the two sides deadlocked on terms for extending it.

Hamas has rejected the accusation and says many of its own fighters have been killed protecting the trucks from looters.