Syrian authorities said that Alaa Zahr al-Din, who was wanted on suspicion of leading an armed group and involvement in crimes against civilians, shot himself during an arrest operation near Damascus. According to the official SANA news agency, he was stopped at a checkpoint following a special operation. Zahr al-Din pulled out a weapon and shot himself, fearing arrest; his companion in the car was detained.
Authorities describe Zahr al-Din as one of the main associates of Ghyath Dala, a former officer linked to the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. After Assad’s fall, Dala led groups in Syria’s coastal regions that opposed the new government, and in March 2025 announced the creation of the “Military Council for the Liberation of Syria.” Damascus accuses supporters of the former president of attacks on security forces and of fomenting violence.
Zahr al-Din’s arrest was part of the authorities’ ongoing campaign to track down former armed commanders. Several days earlier, Firas Abdel-Karim Hammoud, who was also linked to Dala and accused of taking part in an armed rebellion that resulted in the deaths of security personnel, was killed in a gunfight during an attempted arrest in Tartus province. Since Assad’s ouster in December 2024, Syrian authorities have detained dozens of former members of the security services; their trials began in April.
Full version: Syria.. Wanted man linked to Ghyath Dala commits suicide during arrest attempt