Syrian authorities arrest militia leader linked to 2013 coastal massacres

Syrian intelligence officials have arrested militia leader Ali Kayali as he attempted to flee across the border, state media and international news outlets reported on Thursday. Kayali, who is also known as Mihrac Ural, is accused of commanding armed groups involved in mass civilian killings in 2013. Euronews and Al Jazeera both reported that the arrest was carried out by Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, citing the state news agency SANA. [1][2]

State media reported that Kayali was apprehended while trying to cross the border, though official reports did not state which country he was attempting to enter. Euronews reported that Kayali led militia forces affiliated with ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad. These forces carried out summary executions of more than 450 civilians in the towns of Bayda and Baniyas in May 2013. [1][2]

Euronews added that 70 year old Kayali faced accusations of leading killings across multiple regions, including the coastal province of Tartus, as well as rural parts of Latakia, Idlib, and Aleppo. Al Jazeera noted that he had long been suspected of playing a major role in the 2013 civilian massacres in Baniyas. [1][2]

The arrest follows years of political turbulence in Syria, where authoritarian governance under the Assad family ended when the regime was overthrown on December 8, 2024, following a rebel offensive led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. [10]