Syria detains Assad-era general Mohammed Ali Durgham over 1982 Hama massacre

September 8, 2026 at 12:03 AM2 min

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Syrian Internal Security Forces arrested former Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham, accused of involvement in the 1982 Hama massacre and ordering fire on protesters in 2011. The arrest is part of a wider campaign against former regime officials since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in December 2024.

Key Facts

Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham was arrested by Syria's Internal Security Forces on Monday.
Durgham is accused of participating in the 1982 Hama massacre and ordering fire on unarmed protesters in 2011.
The Hama massacre killed between 10,000 and 40,000 people over nearly a month.
Durgham served as a field commander in the Fourth Division, commanded by Maher al-Assad, from 2009 to 2013.
Former Major-General Jalal Kamel Saqr was detained last week for war crimes and arbitrary detentions.

The Arrest

Syria's Internal Security Forces announced the arrest of former Major-General Mohammed Ali Durgham on Monday. The statement described Durgham as "a prominent officer in the military establishment during the era of the former regime." He is accused of issuing direct orders to fire on unarmed protesters in the Damascus countryside. Human Rights Watch in 2011 quoted a Syrian army defector who said Durgham ordered troops to shoot at protesters near Damascus.

Hama Massacre Role

Durgham began his career as a squad commander in the Defence Brigades during the 1982 events in Hama Governorate, according to authorities. On February 2, 1982, then-president Hafez al-Assad launched a brutal crackdown on the city of Hama. The death toll from the nearly month-long siege ranges from 10,000 to 40,000 people.

Broader Accountability Campaign

Durgham's arrest is part of broader efforts to pursue former officials accused of crimes under the previous regime. Since Bashar al-Assad's overthrow in December 2024, Syria's new authorities have arrested dozens of former security officials. Former Major-General Jalal Kamel Saqr was detained last week for war crimes and arbitrary detentions, SANA reported.