Khaberni - The Syrian authorities announced the arrest of Wissam Osman -the office manager of Yasar Al-Assad, the cousin of the ousted president Bashar Al-Assad– in the city of Qardaha in Latakia governorate, and a group accused of managing "espionage and bombing cells" during the period of the ousted regime in Idlib governorate northwest of the country.
The Syrian News Agency (SANA) said on Monday that the internal security command in Latakia governorate detained Wissam Osman as soon as he entered the Syrian territory in the Qardaha area (the birthplace of the Assad family).
It reported that Wissam Osman was involved in "committing violations and crimes targeting unarmed civilians on the Syrian coast," indicating his involvement in "managing recruitment operations and securing both financial and military support during the events that took place on the coast in March 2025, under the guidance and support of Yasar Al-Assad".
Wissam Osman was subsequently referred to the competent judicial authorities to complete the investigations and take legal action against him.
In March 2025, the Syrian coast region experienced security tensions amid coordinated attacks by remnants of Assad's regime -the most violent since its fall- against patrols and security checkpoints, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Subsequently, the security forces and the army were mobilized and conducted sweeping and pursuit operations that included violent clashes, ending with the restoration of security and stability in the coastal cities, and the commencement of chasing the remnants and officers of the defunct regime in the countryside and mountains.
Yasar Al-Assad is known to be one of the leaders of what was known as the family's Shabiha and the auxiliary armed groups for the Syrian regime in the coast, and for years he managed extensive networks of financial and military influence, and his name was associated with widespread violations against civilians.
Earlier on Monday, the spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of Interior, Nour El Deen Al Baba, announced during a press conference in Damascus—that the Counter-Terrorism Administration of the ministry—established in May 2025—had managed to arrest about 6,000 elements of the ousted regime.
"Spying and Bombing Cells"
In the same context, the commander of internal security in Idlib governorate, Ghassan Bakir, reported that the security forces had arrested a group of remnants of the defunct regime (he did not specify their number), who were managing spying and bombing cells active during the reign of Bashar Al-Assad.
Bakir confirmed to SANA that the investigations revealed that "the detainees functioned as security arms for the defunct regime, where their tasks included monitoring and photographing military sites during the revolution, and providing the warplanes and artillery units affiliated with it with accurate coordinates to target them."
He explained that "the network members were involved in coordinating the entry of car bombs and motorcycle bombs and explosive devices, and participating in their detonation inside civilian gatherings."
He noted that they "confessed to being behind a number of bombings targeting vital areas, including Stadium Roundabout and The Seven Fountains Roundabout and Fortieth and Thirtieth Streets in Idlib city, as well as Jisr al-Shughur city, resulting in casualties and causing terror among the civilians."
The security official added that the detainees also "admitted to recruiting new agents for gathering information, and securing smuggling routes for those involved in previous terrorist activities."
He also mentioned that they received financial and logistical support and direct instructions from officers in the intelligence services of the defunct regime.
The new Syrian administration is working to control security conditions and pursue elements of the former regime accused of involvement in violations against civilians during the years of the revolution that extended between 2011 and 2024.
