Syria arrests Ali Kayali, main suspect in 2013 Baniyas massacre
Kayali formed an armed militia that fought alongside the forces of the deposed regime in its crackdown on the Syrian people during the years of the Syrian revolution. The militia committed several massacres in different parts of Syria, most notably in Al-Bayda and Ras al-Nabaa in Baniyas.
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), 264 civilians, including 36 children and 28 women, were martyred in the Al-Bayda massacre, while 195 civilians, including 56 children and 43 women, were martyred in the Ras al-Nabaa massacre.
Testimonies and reports on the two massacres described bodies scattered across roads, inside shops and even in basements. They also documented summary executions by gunfire and bladed weapons, as well as the burning of homes and bodies.
Militias affiliated with Kayali also committed massacres against Syrians in the countryside of Latakia, Aleppo and Idlib, leaving hundreds of people dead or wounded.
Ural is the main suspect in the twin terrorist bombings that struck Reyhanlı, in Türkiye’s southern Hatay province, in 2013, killing 52 people, according to Anadolu Agency.
Born in 1956 in Hatay, Türkiye, Ural fled to Syria in 1982 and was granted special privileges there. He was related by marriage to the head of the deposed regime through his wife, known as Malak al-Fadel.
Earlier this month, Turkish intelligence arrested Omar al-Khatib, one of the planners of the Reyhanlı bombing, as he attempted to flee by sea to Europe. Al-Khatib had coordinated between the attackers and members of the intelligence services of the deposed regime.
On Oct. 4, security forces arrested Jamal Tarabulsi, Mihrac Ural’s deputy.
The Ministry of Interior continues to pursue those involved in violations against civilians during the era of the deposed regime, as part of efforts to achieve transitional justice and hold those responsible for crimes accountable.
Source: SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency
