SANA: Arrest of the most prominent official responsible for the 2013 Baniyas massacre

Elements affiliated with "Kayali" also committed massacres against Syrians in the countrysides of Latakia, Aleppo, and Idlib, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries.

"Kayali" is considered one of the planners of the bombing orchestrated by intelligence elements during the era of the ousted Assad regime in the Turkish city of Reyhanlı in May 2013, which resulted in the death of 53 people and the injury of dozens, in addition to extensive material damage.

At the beginning of this month, the Turkish Intelligence Agency arrested Omar al-Khatib, one of the planners of the Reyhanlı bombing, while he was attempting to flee by sea to Europe, where he was responsible for coordinating between the perpetrators of the attack and intelligence elements.

On October 4, 2026, security forces in Syria arrested Jamal Trabelsi, Kayali's deputy.

The Ministry of Interior continues to pursue those involved in committing violations against civilians during the era of the ousted president Bashar al-Assad, as part of efforts to achieve transitional justice and hold those responsible for the crimes accountable.