Syrian authorities say they have arrested Mihrac Ural, a Turkish-born former militia figure and longtime supporter of Bashar al-Assad. Ural is also known as Ali Kayali.
Syrian state media reported that he was detained late Wednesday while allegedly trying to cross the country’s border and flee. Turkish state media, citing security sources, said Turkey’s intelligence agency cooperated with Syrian authorities in the operation.
Other accounts describe different circumstances and a different location. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Lebanese media said masked men seized Ural during a raid in the Mansourieh area near Beirut. These accounts have not been reconciled, and the precise details of his arrest remain unclear.
Turkey has sought Ural over alleged involvement in the 2013 Reyhanli bombings. He has also faced accusations in Syria over violence against civilians on the Mediterranean coast. Those are allegations; the arrest itself does not establish guilt. Further official information is needed to clarify the competing accounts and any legal proceedings.
