Syria Arrests Former Intelligence Officer Seen In Leaked Video Of Mass Shooting

Syrian authorities have arrested Amjad Yousef , a former intelligence officer accused of playing a central role in the 2013 Tadamon massacre , one of the most notorious atrocities of the country’s civil war.

The Interior Ministry said Yousef was captured during a security operation in the Al-Ghab Plain area of Hama province , where he had been hiding since the overthrow of former president Bashar Assad in December 2024. Officials released images showing him in custody and said investigations are continuing to track down other suspects linked to the killings.

The massacre occurred on April 16, 2013 , in the Tadamon district of southern Damascus during the early stages of the Syrian civil war , which began with anti-government protests in 2011 and later escalated into a prolonged conflict that has killed about 500,000 people and injured more than one million .

Investigators say the massacre left around 288 civilians dead , although a leaked video later showed the execution of at least 41 detainees . The victims were blindfolded and had their hands bound before being led to a trench filled with tyres and shot one by one by members of Military Intelligence Branch 227 . The attackers then burned the bodies in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.

The case drew global attention in 2022 when researchers published footage that appeared to show Yousef personally carrying out executions. The video had reportedly been filmed by a military recruit and later leaked to investigators, who spent several years identifying those responsible.

Following the fall of Assad’s government, Syrian authorities began detaining officials suspected of wartime abuses. Three other suspects linked to the Tadamon killings were arrested earlier , and authorities have pledged to pursue all those involved.

The arrest has been welcomed internationally. US special envoy Tom Barrack described it as an important step toward accountability, while residents of Tadamon reportedly celebrated, seeing it as long-awaited justice for victims and their families.

Yousef had already faced international sanctions; in March 2023 the United States banned him and his immediate family from entering the country because of his alleged role in the massacre.