Transitional government arrests former regime militia leader in Aleppo
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The Ministry of Interior of the Syrian transitional government announced on Saturday the arrest of a former officer and militia leader affiliated with the al-Assad regime in the city of Aleppo, northwestern Syria.
In an official statement, the ministry said that “investigation and surveillance teams conducted extensive monitoring operations, which led to the arrest of one of the most notorious criminals of the former regime, identified as Ali Qarqanawi, known as Abu al-Fida, in the al-Hellok neighborhood of Aleppo.”
According to the statement, Qarqanawi had held the rank of major in the Syrian army under Bashar al-Assad and was accused of leading an armed group within the National Defense Forces (NDF) militia and participating in the violent suppression of protests.
The ministry added that, acting on a warrant issued by the Public Prosecution, the Counter-Terrorism Branch in Aleppo raided Qarqanawi’s hideout and detained him.
It further noted that Qarqanawi had previously sought parliamentary candidacy for the People’s Assembly during the former regime’s rule, a move that allegedly provided him with official cover for his activities and facilitated his movement.
The suspect has been transferred to the competent judicial authorities to complete investigations and face trial, the statement concluded.