A heavy officer from the Assad era in the grip of Syrian security… Jalal Saqr before investigation

The Internal Security Command in Latakia Governorate announced the arrest of Major General Jalal Kamel Saqr, one of the most prominent officers who held leadership positions in the military establishment during the era of former President Bashar al-Assad, against the backdrop of accusations of involvement in military operations and arrests targeting civilians during the years of the Syrian revolution.

According to the Internal Security Command, Saqr was commanding the 18th Infantry Brigade, and his direct participation in military operations targeting civilians in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta was proven, in addition to his supervision of arbitrary arrest campaigns and security prosecutions in Daraa Governorate.

Saqr held a number of prominent military positions during the era of the former regime, as he assumed the chief of staff of the 14th Division and the position of its deputy commander, before becoming its commander until mid-2016.

After that, he moved to work in the “Operations Authority” in Damascus, which was the body responsible for planning military operations, and he continued in his position until he was referred for demobilization on May 1, 2017.

In a related context, security sources reported the arrest of a former pilot who was working within the forces of the former regime, during a security campaign carried out by the competent authorities in Aleppo Governorate, without revealing further details about his identity or the charges against him.

Saqr’s arrest comes as part of a series of security campaigns carried out by the Syrian authorities over the past months against officers and members who served in the institutions of the former regime.

Last June, the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of 3,548 people with military ranks during the era of the former regime, including one general, 42 major generals, 172 brigadier generals, more than 200 colonels, and 112 lieutenant colonels.

The list published by the ministry also included more than 1,400 members, in addition to hundreds of officers and non-commissioned officers of various military ranks.