Syria Arrests Ousted Ruler’s Cousin, Former Security Officials

ISTANBUL, Oct 27 (NNN-Anadolu) -- Syrian authorities have arrested Yahya al-Assad, a cousin of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, along with former military and security officials during operations in the central city of Homs, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba announced 15 arrests in remarks carried by Syria’s Al-Ekhbariya TV.

Those detained included Mohammad Dib Afouf, who previously headed the 24th Division and the Air Defence Directorate, and Ghazi Badr Abdel Saleh, the former head of the Counterterrorism Court.

The list also included former investigation chiefs in Air Force intelligence, personnel who served in political security and the Republican Guard, and three military pilots.

Al-Baba did not specify when each person was arrested or detail the charges against all those detained.

The arrests follow earlier operations targeting officials from the ousted regime.

In September, Syrian authorities announced the detention of a former military intelligence official and a former air force operations chief.

In June, the Interior Ministry said it had detained 3,548 former regime military personnel, including dozens of generals, according to the broadcaster.

--NNN-ANADOLU