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.

 

 

 

 



Hezbollah Orders Members to Stay Away from South Lebanon Amid Renewed Israeli Strikes

Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
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Hezbollah Orders Members to Stay Away from South Lebanon Amid Renewed Israeli Strikes

Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)
Hezbollah supporters take part in Ashura commemorations in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week (AP)

In the wake of renewed Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, Hezbollah has reportedly instructed its members and affiliates to avoid traveling to their hometowns in the south, including areas north and south of the Litani River.

The internal directive, aimed at minimizing Israeli targeting, prohibits movement to the region even for family visits or personal reasons, according to local sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The move comes as Israel resumed its targeted operations against Hezbollah after a week-long pause. The renewed strikes coincide with growing Lebanese calls to reactivate the ceasefire monitoring committee, following escalating tensions and violations.

On Thursday, two individuals were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon, despite the ceasefire agreement brokered last November. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health confirmed the fatalities.

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, an Israeli drone strike hit a vehicle on the Toul-Kfour highway in the Nabatieh district, killing one person and injuring two others. A second airstrike targeted a truck in the southern coastal town of Naqoura, leaving one person dead.

Israeli authorities have reiterated that they will continue to act against Hezbollah to “eliminate any threat” and prevent the group from reestablishing its military infrastructure. They have warned that strikes will continue unless Hezbollah is disarmed by the Lebanese state.

The latest attacks follow a series of five assassinations carried out last week, which Israel claimed targeted operatives involved in restoring Hezbollah’s combat and artillery capabilities in the south.

Since the November ceasefire, Israel has reportedly carried out nearly 3,600 violations, by land, sea, and air, resulting in 253 deaths and 559 injuries, according to official Lebanese data.

Ongoing Israeli operations have severely limited Hezbollah’s activity in both southern Lebanon and north of the Litani River. Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah issued a directive months ago prohibiting members, including fighters, from visiting southern areas, even for personal or family reasons, to avoid Israeli surveillance and targeting.