Syrian forces detain Sednaya jail official amid Homs operation

Syrian security forces detain key Sednaya prison official amid operation in Homs
MENA
2 min read
Staff
04 January, 2025
Syrian forces arrested over 40 suspected regime officials in Homs, including one responsible for the cameras at the notorious Sednaya prison
Syrian forces arrested over 40 people during the Homs security operation [Getty]

Syrian forces have detained dozens of wanted figures from the former Assad regime during a security operation in Homs, including an official responsible for the cameras at the notorious Sednaya prison, where thousands of people were detained, tortured, and executed.

Mohmmed Noureddin Shalhoum is believed to have shut down the cameras and stolen documents from the prison before rebels took control of it and freed detainees, during a lightning offensive which saw the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad on 8 December.

’s affiliate Syria TV reported that Shalhoum worked under his relative Hassan Shalhoum, the leader of a military formation known as the “Lions of the Presidential Guard”.

During the rebel offensive they worked to withdraw all the regime checkpoints around Sednaya Prison before the rebels arrived.

They are also accused of firing on relatives of prisoners who arrived at Sednaya to search for their loved ones following the collapse of regime forces.

The security operation in Homs and surrounding areas  also saw the arrest of Saher Naddaf, who is accused of taking part in massacres of civilians during the brutal Syrian conflict, which broke out in 2011.

The security forces also reportedly found a secret ammunition depot in the Zahraa area of Homs. Their operation is centred around the Abbasiya, Sabil, Zahraa, and Muhajirin districts of Homs.

’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that around 40 regime officers and officials were detained, including some involved in the Karam Al-Zeitoun massacre, which saw dozens of people killed by regime-affiliated Shabeeha thugs in central Homs in 2012.

Other officials arrested included Zakaria Abdul Qader, who worked at the central Deir al-Zour prison in eastern Syria.

In southern Syria, fighters affiliated with the former Assad regime clashed with rebel fighters in the town of Sanamein north of Daraa, Syria TV reported.

Also in Sanamein, local people found a mass grave which was reportedly over 10 years old, containing at least 20 bodies, near a military base belonging to the former regime.