Syria's Internal Security Forces arrested Ala Zahraddin, the former leader of the Homeland Shield Brigade, at a checkpoint in the countryside around Damascus and thwarted his escape attempt. Zahraddin is accused of involvement in crimes against civilians.
The security forces said they identified Zahraddin's movements through monitoring and tracking operations. They said that after his identity was established, Zahraddin drew his weapon and shot himself. No information was provided about his condition afterward.
Another person accompanying Zahraddin, whose name was not disclosed, was also detained.
Background to the events on Syria's coast
Zahraddin's arrest came days after Firas Abdulkarim Hammoud, a member of the leadership of armed groups operating along Syria's western coast, was killed.
Syrian authorities announced Sunday that Hammoud, known by the nickname "al-Hal," was killed after an armed clash in the countryside of Safita, in Tartus province. Hammoud was said to have commanded the special forces of the structure known as the "25th Division" during the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime.
Hammoud was said to have acted on behalf of Ghiyath Dela, one of the leaders of the former regime's armed groups. Dela, a former officer in the Fourth Division, emerged as one of the leaders of pro-regime armed groups during the events on Syria's coast in March 2025.
Clashes in the coastal regions
On March 6, 2025, armed groups affiliated with the Assad regime carried out coordinated attacks against security forces in the provinces of Latakia and Tartus. The government forces' operations, clashes and allegations of violations against civilians followed those attacks.
The Committee to Investigate the Events on Syria's Coast announced in July that 1,426 civilians and soldiers had been killed in the events and that 20 people were missing. The committee also referred the files of 298 people suspected of committing violations to the judiciary.
Public hearings for the people accused in the events began later.
