Syrian internal security forces are continuing a campaign to pursue former officers suspected of violations and war crimes. On Sunday, they announced the detention of former military pilot Brigadier General Zakaria Muhammad Sanun, who held command positions in the army of Bashar al-Assad’s ousted regime. This came a day after reports of the arrest of former Major General Ahmed Muhammad Ismail, who headed the Republican Guard’s staff under the previous regime. Both cases are part of a broader hunt for former commanders accused of involvement in violations during the years of war.
According to security sources, Sanun, an Air Force brigadier general, headed the operations department of the 22nd Division from 2012 to 2020. The division oversaw air operations at three military airfields. He is described as one of the main figures involved in planning and carrying out war crimes and airstrikes against civilians during the years of the Syrian revolution. He directly commanded operations from Hama Military Airfield and the Tiyas (T4) and Shayrat air bases—from which combat aircraft took off to strike civilian areas. Sanun was handed over to the competent authorities to complete the investigation and face trial.
Ismail began his service as a platoon commander and later commanded a company in the 2nd Battalion of the 101st Airborne Regiment. In early 2016, he was promoted to head of the operations department of the same regiment and, according to internal security forces, directly participated in directing military attacks on Aleppo, Daraa and Eastern Ghouta between 2011 and 2024. He later advanced through several command positions: he served for six months as chief of staff of the Republican Guard, for a year as deputy commander of the 14th Division, which specializes in airborne operations, and then became commander of the same division, remaining in that post until the fall of Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024.
In a broader context, last Friday security forces in Tartus detained five senior officers and commanders of the former regime’s Air Force. The province’s internal security commander, Colonel Abdel Aal Muhammad Abdel Aal, said that special units had carried out a series of targeted operations. Since the fall of Assad’s regime, the authorities have announced the detention of many former officers, officials and security personnel as part of efforts to pursue those implicated in violations against civilians during the years of war. In June, Syrian Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said that 5,989 detainees of various military ranks from the ousted regime were being held by the Counterterrorism Directorate. Syrian security forces continue to make arrests and conduct investigations, preparing to refer those involved to court.
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What was Syria’s 22nd Division known for, and why is its operations department considered one of the main focuses of investigations into airstrikes on civilian areas? — The 22nd Division—most often referring to the Syrian Air Force’s 22nd Air Division, based at Shayrat Air Base—was known as a key aviation formation involved in combat operations against rebels and, according to investigations, in the use of chemical weapons. Its operations department is considered one of the main focuses of investigations because airstrikes, including attacks on civilian areas, were planned, approved and coordinated there. Documents, flight logs, orders and targeting data may help establish the chain of responsibility and intent.
Why is Shayrat Air Base considered one of Syria’s best-known military bases, and what role did it play in the civil war? — Shayrat is an air base in Homs province known as the home of the Syrian Air Force’s 22nd Air Division. It became internationally known after the United States struck it on April 7, 2017, with 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles in response to the chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun. During the civil war, the base was used to launch Syrian air operations against rebels in Homs, Hama and Idlib, as well as for logistics and support for government forces. It was repeatedly mentioned in investigations into the use of chemical weapons and attacks on civilian sites.
Full version: The arrest of the Republican Guard chief of staff and an Air Force brigadier general in the ousted Assad regime