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The Syrian authorities announced on Thursday the arrest of one of the founders of the "Al-Shawahin Regiment" militia, affiliated with the ousted regime's forces, for his involvement in committing massacres against civilians and acts of arrest and torture.
The Internal Security Forces of the Ministry of Interior said in a statement that they arrested Shahin Hamdan Al-Shahin "based on precise intelligence monitoring and tracking operations," without specifying the location and date of the arrest.
They explained that the detainee is one of the founders of the "Al-Shawahin Regiment" militia during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad (2000-2024).
They added that Al-Shahin "began working with Air Force Intelligence in 2015," under the command of Suheil Al-Hassan, one of the most prominent military commanders in the former regime's forces, before participating in the large-scale establishment of armed groups.
According to the statement, investigations "showed the detainee's direct involvement in committing horrific massacres against civilians," most notably in the eastern countryside of Hama Governorate (center), and on the Ithriyya-Raqqa road (northeast), during 2017.
It also pointed out that he is accused of leading armed groups that committed "crimes of murder, arrest, torture, and vandalism" in the city of Palmyra in Homs Governorate (center), reaching Deir ez-Zor Governorate (northeast), until 2019.
The "Al-Shawahin Regiment" was one of the armed formations associated with the "Tiger" forces led by Suheil Al-Hassan, which later became part of the "25th Division / Special Tasks" in the former regime's army, according to Syrian media reports.
Al-Shahin's arrest comes as part of operations announced by the Syrian authorities to pursue individuals involved in committing violations against civilians during the rule of the Assad regime, as part of its declared efforts to achieve transitional justice and hold those responsible for crimes accountable.
On December 8, 2024, Syrian rebels managed to enter the capital, Damascus, announcing the overthrow of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, who inherited rule from his father Hafez (1970-2000).
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