Syria announces arrest of Tadamon massacre suspect
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday the arrest of Amjad Youssef, the main suspect in the Tadamon neighborhood massacre in Damascus, during a security operation carried out in the countryside of Hama.
According to statements published on the ministry’s official accounts, internal security forces carried out the operation as part of ongoing measures related to the case. The arrest follows earlier announcements in February 2025 regarding the detention of three individuals linked to the massacre, including Kamel Abbas, known as “Mario,” who appeared alongside Youssef in a video documenting the killings.
Available information indicates that Youssef, born in 1986, previously held the rank of officer in the military intelligence service affiliated with the former Syrian government. He is accused of involvement in the killing of dozens of civilians amid widespread violations reported during the years of conflict.
The Tadamon massacre is among the most extensively documented incidents of the Syrian conflict. Investigations based on video evidence confirmed the killing of 41 civilians, while other estimates suggest the total number of victims in executions carried out in the area could reach approximately 288 people.
Youssef is originally from the village of Nab’ al-Tayeb in the al-Ghab Plain in Hama countryside. He reportedly held the rank of warrant officer and was affiliated with Branch 227. Video footage showed him carrying out executions of dozens of civilians in Tadamon in 2013.
During that period, Youssef was responsible for the neighborhood and was associated with multiple reported violations. His name was also linked to members of the National Defense Forces militia, particularly in the Nusrin Street area, where militia members were present under the leadership of Fadi Saqr, who has also been referenced in connection with the massacre.
In April 2022, The Guardian published an extensive investigation into the massacre, accompanied by video footage dated April 16, 2013, which revealed the involvement of individuals associated with the National Defense Forces alongside Youssef in carrying out the killings.
The investigation and the footage sparked widespread reactions among Syrians, bringing renewed attention to previously leaked recordings documenting acts of torture and killings of civilians.
Activists from Damascus and its countryside, including residents of Tadamon, have stated that the massacre documented in the video represents one of several incidents reported in the area during that period.