ISTANBUL

Syria’s security forces arrested a former intelligence chief Thursday who is accused of carrying out hundreds of assassinations under ex-regime leader Hafez al-Assad, the Syrian news agency SANA reported.

“After precise monitoring and investigation, our forces in the city of Jableh successfully arrested General Ibrahim Huweija, the former head of Syria’s General Intelligence Service, who is accused of hundreds of assassinations during the rule of Hafez al-Assad, including overseeing the assassination of Kamal Beik Jumblatt,” the agency reported on X, citing a security source.

Jumblatt was a prominent Lebanese politician and Druze leader known for founding the Progressive Socialist Party and advocating for democracy and Arab nationalism.

He was assassinated in 1977, with widespread accusations pointing to Syrian intelligence under Hafez al-Assad.

The former leader of the Progressive Socialist Party in Lebanon, Walid Jumblatt, reacted to the news of Huweija’s arrest by simply stating: "Allahu Akbar."

Asked by an Anadolu correspondent for a comment on the arrest of the officer accused of assassinating his father, Kamal Jumblatt, on March 16, 1977, Jumblatt repeated: "Allahu Akbar," without elaborating further.

The Syrian Public Security Administration meanwhile announced a general curfew in Tartus, Homs and Latakia until Friday morning following recent security incidents in Latakia.

In Tartus, the administration said “a general curfew is imposed from 10:00 p.m. (1900GMT) today until 10:00 a.m. (0700GMT) on Friday, March 7, 2025.”

According to SANA, the decision was made “based on security directives and necessary precautions to ensure the safety of citizens.”

Authorities urged all residents to fully comply with the curfew and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families.

Hassan Abdel Ghani, spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Defense, later issued a stark warning to remnants of the Assad regime, urging them not to fight a lost war after ousted leader Bashar al-Assad fled, abandoning them to their fate.

In a series of posts on X, Abdel Ghani addressed senior war criminals, saying: "You have been defeated despite your fortifications and weapons. Today, you are scattered in the mountains with no refuge except the courts, where you will face justice."

"Thousands have chosen to lay down their arms and return to their families, while some insist on fleeing or dying for murderers and criminals," he added.

In a final warning to remaining loyalists, he wrote: "Do not become fuel for a lost war. Bashar has fled and left you to your fate—do not repeat the mistake, or it will be your last."

A public gathering took place in Umayyad Square, Damascus, in support of the Defense Ministry and Public Security Forces’ operations against Assad militia remnants in Jableh and its countryside, reaffirming Syrian national unity.

In Aleppo, residents expressed their support for the Public Security Forces and the Defense Ministry, emphasizing their commitment to restoring security and stability across the country.

Meanwhile, a security source in Latakia reported that Syrian forces thwarted an attack by Assad militia cells on the Criminal Security Branch, resulting in one attacker being neutralized and three others arrested.

While authorities have not released an overall toll of the attacks, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 16 casualties, including dead and injured, from the Public Security Administration.

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, military authorities have opened reconciliation centers for former regime loyalists to surrender their weapons. However, some factions have refused to comply, leading to clashes in multiple provinces.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period on Jan. 29.