DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL

Syrian security forces said Saturday they have arrested Brig. Gen. Abdel Karim Al-Hamada, a close associate of Maher Assad, the brother of Bashar Assad, who was the head of the ousted Syrian regime.

The announcement came from the Deir ez-Zor governorate in eastern Syria via its official Telegram channel.

According to the statement, the General Directorate of Public Security in Deir ez-Zor detained Al-Hamada, who had served as “director of the settlement file” under the previous regime.

He was also “responsible for coordination between officers of the former regime and leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,” according to the SANA news agency.

As of 2000GMT, there has been no official comment from the Iranian side.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party 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 in late January.