Lebanon Investigates Abduction of Syrian Militia Leader Suspected of War Crimes

Lebanese judicial and security officials confirmed Friday that authorities are investigating the abduction of a former Syrian militia commander, suspected of committing crimes during the former Syrian government’s crackdown, who was taken from Lebanon to Syria. The investigation aims to determine how Ali Kayali, also known as Mihrac Ural, was kidnapped in Lebanon and transferred across the border.

Syria’s intelligence department announced Thursday that it had detained Kayali, who was attempting to flee Syria. The department stated that Kayali was responsible for killings in the coastal town of Baniyas in 2013 that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Lebanon’s public prosecution has initiated an investigation into the matter. Officials have requested that army intelligence and police intelligence units analyze telecommunication records. This analysis is intended to ascertain whether Kayali was taken to the Syrian Embassy in Beirut or directly to Syria after his apprehension in Mansouriyeh, a mountain town in Lebanon where he resided.

Unconfirmed reports suggest Kayali was apprehended in Lebanon. A photograph circulating on social media depicted a handcuffed Kayali standing between two Syrian flags, prompting Lebanese authorities to investigate if the image was taken at the Syrian Embassy in Lebanon. Syrian authorities released a photograph of Kayali, born in 1956, in a prison uniform.

Kayali, who was born in Turkey, was a prominent figure sought by Syrian authorities. News of his reported arrest sparked celebrations in parts of Syria, as he is blamed for sectarian killings during the early years of the Syrian conflict, which began in March 2011.

This incident occurs in the context of past abductions linked to Syrian authorities in Lebanon. In 2011, senior Baath Party official Shibli al-Aysami was allegedly kidnapped by Syrian authorities from the Lebanese town of Aley and has not been found. More recently, in August, Lebanese judicial authorities handed over a former senior Syrian military officer to Damascus for questioning over alleged crimes committed during the Syrian conflict.

Since the fall of the former Syrian government, dozens of officials have faced trials in Syria for alleged crimes committed during the conflict. In August, Assad’s cousin and senior security official Atef Najib was sentenced to death in absentia. The rule of the Assad family, which spanned five decades, ended in December 2024 when opposition fighters advanced on Damascus.