Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba revealed details of the operation to arrest Amjad Youssef, the main suspect in the Tadamon neighborhood massacre in Damascus, which came after months of surveillance and close security monitoring.
Al-Baba said in an interview with the official al-Ikhbariya channel today, Friday, April 24, that Amjad Youssef had been on the list of the most wanted people by the Military Operations Administration, and later by the Interior Ministry, since the fall of the Assad regime, given the global impact caused by the Tadamon massacre because of its brutality.
Al-Baba explained that the relevant agencies carried out several attempts over the past months to track and arrest Youssef, including an attempt in September 2025 that did not succeed. Monitoring operations continued until his approximate location was identified about a month ago in the village of Naba al-Tayeb in rural Hama, which is affiliated with the al-Suqaylabiyah area.
The spokesperson said the security operation was carried out according to a tight plan based on three security cordons to close in on the target and prevent his escape. The operation was coordinated between the Internal Security Command in Hama governorate and the operations, information, and special tasks departments, within a high-level operations room supervised by the Interior Ministry.
Al-Baba said security forces were able to locate Youssef inside the targeted site and arrest him despite his attempt to resist, stressing that he will be referred to the Syrian judiciary to complete investigations and legal procedures against him.
Alongside the arrest of Amjad Youssef, internal security personnel surrounded his home village of Naba al-Tayeb and are carrying out search operations inside it.
A source at the Interior Ministry told Enab Baladi that internal security arrested Amjad Youssef’s wife in the village, and that she is set to be referred to the judiciary to complete legal procedures.
The source explained that the reason for surrounding the village was suspicion that important papers or documents may be present there and could help complete the investigations.
The Syrian Interior Ministry announced today, Friday, April 24, the arrest of Amjad Youssef, the main suspect in the 2013 “Tadamon massacre” in Damascus, during a tight security operation carried out in rural Hama.
Escape Route Between Qardaha and al-Ghab
Amjad Youssef was outside Syria when his identity was revealed after video recordings documenting the massacre circulated in 2022, before he later returned to Damascus and maintained his connection with Military Security until the fall of the Assad regime.
He then disappeared from view, moving between several areas, including rural Qardaha and the al-Ghab Plain, according to the Interior Ministry spokesperson.
A video recording released today showed the operation to arrest Amjad Youssef, the perpetrator of the Tadamon massacre, by internal security in Syria.
Confidential Investigations and International Pursuit
The Interior Ministry spokesperson confirmed that the ministry is currently withholding details of the preliminary investigations due to the sensitivity of the case, noting that there will be full disclosure to Syrian public opinion in coordination with the Justice Ministry, which will handle the investigation and oversee his trial.
Al-Baba revealed the existence of “cross-border criminal networks” created by the Assad regime to secure safe havens for wanted people, smuggle weapons and drugs, and provide documents and residencies for some fugitives outside the country. He explained that the Interior Ministry is continuing its cooperation with a number of countries to pursue fugitive suspects and extradite them to Syria.
Other Massacre Officials Arrested
The Interior Ministry had announced the arrest of officials responsible for the “Tadamon” massacre on February 17, 2025.
At the time, Damascus security director Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Rahman al-Dabbagh told the official Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, that security agencies had arrested “one of the leading criminals responsible for the Tadamon massacre in Damascus 12 years ago.”
He added that preliminary investigations led security authorities to several people who participated in the massacre, and two of them were arrested.
What Was the Tadamon Massacre?
An investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian revealed on April 27, 2022, information about a massacre committed by forces of the ousted Syrian regime on April 16, 2013, in the Tadamon neighborhood of Damascus. The massacre resulted in the killing of 41 people and their burial in a mass grave.
This came through the publication of a video recording documenting the shooting of dozens of people and their burial in a mass grave, followed by the burning of their bodies by Syrian regime personnel.
The investigation was based on documents and testimonies provided by researchers Ansar Shahoud and Professor Uğur Ümit Üngör, from the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Amsterdam, citing a former soldier in regime forces who was able to obtain the clip, according to The Guardian.
Who Is Amjad Youssef?
Youssef is one of the most prominent perpetrators of the “Tadamon neighborhood” massacre in Damascus in 2013. He appeared in a video recording carrying out the field execution of 41 people and burying them in a mass grave. He is also accused by his colleagues of carrying out about 12 other mass killings.
Youssef was a member of Branch 227, the Area Branch, affiliated with the Military Intelligence Division of the former regime, and used his position to participate in mass arrest and execution operations against civilians.
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