Syrian authorities arrested a former colonel accused of overseeing the production and storage of sarin-filled bombs under Assad.
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Syrian authorities have arrested a former military colonel accused of playing a senior role in producing and storing chemical weapons under the former government.
The Interior Ministry identified the suspect as Ahmed Habib, alleging that he supervised the production of approximately 20 bombs filled with sarin nerve agent. Each bomb reportedly weighed around 250 kilograms.
According to the ministry, the weapons were used in attacks against Syrian cities and towns between 2013 and 2017.
Habib previously headed a division within Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Centre, the ministry said. He was also allegedly responsible for sarin storage facilities and chemical weapons production at Unit 417 of the Military Intelligence Directorate.
The former officer is originally from Harf al-Musaytirah, a village in the Qardaha countryside of Latakia province in northwestern Syria.
Sarin became closely associated with the Syrian conflict following several suspected and confirmed chemical attacks. One of the deadliest occurred in Eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus, in August 2013, killing hundreds of civilians.
Civil society organisations also documented allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma in April 2018. The Islamic State group was separately accused of using chemical agents, including during an attack on the northern Aleppo town of Marea in 2015.
The arrest comes as Syria’s new authorities intensify operations targeting former government officials accused of involvement in abuses committed during Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons restored Syria’s voting rights on July 9, 2026, citing a significant change in circumstances and increased cooperation from the country’s new authorities.
Damascus has pledged to locate and destroy chemical weapons and toxic munitions concealed under the former government. International inspectors are expected to continue monitoring Syria’s efforts to dismantle the remaining programme.
