Syria: Militia commander who carried out a massacre arrested by the regime

The regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syria announced the arrest of Ali Kayali, a senior figure in the ousted Assad regime, who tried to flee across the border. Kayali led a militia known as the "Syrian Resistance" that took part in the massacre in the city of Baniyas in 2013, in which about 258 civilians were killed. His deputy, Jamal Tarabalsi, was caught earlier this month.

The regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa in Syria announced the arrest of Ali Kayali, a senior figure in the ousted regime of Bashar Assad. Kayali was arrested as he tried to cross the border and flee the country. He headed a militia called the "Syrian Resistance," which fought alongside army forces during the civil war. Kayali is the central defendant in the massacre in the city of Baniyas in 2013. The massacre took place between May 2 and 3, 2013, when forces of the Assad regime, including Kayali's militia, carried out mass killings in the city and in the nearby village of al-Bayda. Human rights organizations reported executions of at least 248 people, and estimated that the number of victims was higher. Earlier this month the Interior Ministry captured Jamal Tarabalsi, Kayali's deputy in the militia.