Former Assad-Era Officer Arrested Over Alleged Sarin Gas Weapons Role
Syrian authorities have arrested former colonel Ahmed Habib Ali, accusing him of being involved in chemical weapons production and the management of sarin gas facilities during Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
The Syrian Interior Ministry identified Ali as a chemical weapons specialist who allegedly oversaw storage sites and manufacturing operations at Unit 417, a chemical weapons facility near Damascus.
Authorities said he was linked to the production of sarin-filled bombs that were reportedly used in attacks during the Syrian civil war.
The arrest comes shortly after Syria was reinstated into the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which had previously suspended its rights after accusing the Assad government of using chemical weapons against civilians.
Ali’s detention is part of a broader effort by Syrian authorities to investigate former Assad-era officials over alleged war crimes and abuses committed during the conflict.
