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On 15 June 2026, Syria’s Ministry of Interior announced that it had arrested nearly 6,000 former Syrian regime members since December 2024 whom the new government accused of committing crimes during the conflict.[i] Among those arrested were 215 generals, including officers who held important command positions during the conflict.[ii] The Ministry has released some basic information about some of these detained officers, who now await trial.

Syrian Archive has been building a database of regime military units and chain of command since 2019. This database is based on open source information from Assad-regime-supporting media accounts and has been used extensively in European legal cases over the past six years.

Using this database, Syrian Archive has compiled short profiles of three Republican Guard officers arrested over the past year by the Ministry of Interior: Major General Mohamad Mohsen Nayouf, Brigadier Yousef Habib, and Colonel Malik Abu Saleh. These profiles provide contextual information for some of the units and locations the officers fought in during the conflict.*

Mohamad Mohsen Nayouf

On 23 May 2026, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) announced on its official Facebook account the arrest of Mohamad Mohsen Nayouf. The post listed four units the former major general had served in:

“Based on careful monitoring and follow-up operations, the Internal Security Forces carried out a special security operation that resulted in the arrest of the criminal.

The criminal held the rank of major general during the era of the former regime, and held several prominent military and leadership positions, including his service in the Third Corps, command of the 18th Tank Division, and chief of staff of the 11th Division in 2020, in addition to his command of the 105th Brigade, Republican Guard in 2016.”[iii]

The MoI further stated that Nayouf would be referred to the judiciary “to complete the investigations and take the necessary legal measures against him”. Syrian Archive’s records show some discrepancies with the resume provided by the MoI. This report also seeks to provide further context for his arrest and the deployments of the units he served in.

Mohamad Mohsen Nayouf pictured after his arrest, published by the MoI on 23 May 2026. Source: Ministry of Interior

102nd Regiment

While the MoI claimed Nayouf served as commander of the 105th Brigade in 2016, open source documentation indicates that he was not appointed to this position until late in 2017.[1] Prior to this, Nayouf appears to have spent at least several years as a senior Republican Guard officer in and around Aleppo city, including more than a year as commander of the 102nd Regiment.

A December 2016 post by a community page from eastern Hama claimed that Nayouf was assigned as the commander of the siege of al-Kindi Hospital in Aleppo and led the regime’s capture of the complex.[2] While the event is undated within the post, it is most likely referring to the regime’s re-capture of al-Kindi on 3 October 2016.[iv]

A series of Facebook posts in 2016 put Nayouf in Aleppo City, now explicitly named as the commander of the 102nd Regiment[3] of the Republican Guard and leading operations on several fronts, including al-Layramoun in July,[4] the 1070 Housing Projects in August,[5] and Karm al-Tarab[6] and Jabal Badro[7] in November. On 1 October 2016, pro-regime pages claimed that Nayouf had promised to “completely cleanse the Bustan al-Pasha neighbourhood.”[8] A post on 26 October 2016 showed Nayouf on a frontline, reportedly in Bustan al-Pasha.[9]

Two posts by pro-regime accounts describing the military resume of the original 102nd Regiment commander, Brigadier General Sami’ Abbas, provide a detailed description of the regiment’s 2012 deployments.[10] The regiment reportedly led the storming of Zabadani in February 2012; then participated in military operations in Damascus’ Qudsaya, Al-Sabina, Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, Beit Sahm, and Beit Jinn; before participation in the Homs city offensive in June 2012 in the neighbourhoods of Al-Khalidiyah, Baba Amr, Al-Hamidiyah, Al-Warsha, Al-Nazihin, and the town of Talbiseh. It then moved to Aleppo, where Sami’ was killed in March 2014. It is possible that Nayouf was an officer in the 102nd Regiment throughout this period and that he took over command of the regiment at this point. An opposition post in February 2012 claimed Nayouf had participated in the Zabadani operation as a battalion commander, though that post claimed it was the 106th Brigade rather than the 102nd Regiment.[11]

147th Regiment

Appointed to command the 147th Special Forces Regiment by January 2017[12], Nayouf likely replaced its previous commander who was dismissed in late December 2016.[13] At the same time, he was referred to as the commander of military operations in the western Aleppo countryside.[14] In August 2017 a video allegedly showed reinforcements arriving to the unit on the western Aleppo frontline.[15]

105th Brigade

A post from November 2017 congratulated Nayouf on his new appointment as commander of the 105th Brigade.[16] The post, combined with the aforementioned posts indicating Nayouf previously commanded the 147th and 102nd Regiments, contradicts the MoI’s claim that Nayouf was the commander of the 105th Brigade in 2016. He appears to have continued to hold this position into 2018 during the operations in Eastern Ghouta [17], Southern Damascus, and Dara’a Governorate. Posts from late April 2018 claimed that the commander was operating in Al-Mukhayyam [Yarmouk Camp], Al-Hajar Al-Aswad[18] and Qadam[19] in southern Damascus. In mid-May, a post congratulated the commander on his victory in Al-Hajar Al-Aswad.[20] A further post from May 2018 congratulated the commander on his military victories in Damascus and its countryside, coinciding with the regime’s complete victory over the opposition enclaves in Eastern Ghouta and Southern Damascus.[21]

His unit was allegedly also involved in the operations in Dara’a Governorate later in the year. A post from June 2018 appears to show Nayouf in the village of Ja’iliyah in Dara’a [22], and a second post claimed he was on the Dara’a front lines later that month with the 105th Brigade.[23] A video posted on 15 July 2018 allegedly showed the Brigadier General directly commanding an operation with the 105th Brigade [24], and a post on 16 July claimed Nayouf was leading Republican Guard soldiers “on the outskirts of Jassem.”[25]

A Facebook post from November 2017 by a pro-regime user congratulating Nayouf on his “new appointment” as commander of the 105th Brigade [26].

5th Division

A post on 31 July 2020 claimed Nayouf had been appointed the chief of staff of the 5th Division [27]. It is worth noting that while the MoI arrest statement stated Nayouf served as the chief of staff of the 11th Division in 2020, Syrian Archive could not find any public posts supporting this. However, it is possible he served briefly in this position prior to 31 July 2020.

Boukamal Security Committee

A post on 8 December 2020 congratulated Nayouf on his appointment to the chair of the Security Committee in Boukamal, in southern Deir Ez Zor [28].

18th Division

Nayouf was reportedly appointed as the commander of the 18th Division in April 2022 [29]. In December of that year additional posts claimed that a subunit of the 18th Division was active in the Palmyra countryside [30]. In 2023, a post from members of the unit complained online about lack of vacations and basic goods for soldiers. It also cited Nayouf as the commander of the 18th Division[31].

Yousef Habib

On 23 June 2026, the Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of former Brigadier Yousef Habib. The official MoI Facebook page stated that he had been arrested for his suspected role in “search and arrest operations of activists at checkpoints, before handing them over to Major General Mohamad Khadour and his elements, whose units were carrying out executions of a number of detainees inside the [106th] Brigade headquarters”.[v]

Yousef Habib pictured after his arrest, published by the MoI on 23 June 2026. Source: Ministry of Interior.

It is not clear what exact checkpoints the Ministry’s announcement referred to, and the open source documentation of Habib’s roles is sparse. Major General Mohamad Khadour has held numerous senior positions during the conflict, including commander of the Republican Guard’s 106th Brigade in 2011 [vi], commander of the Aleppo Security and Military Committee until July 2013 [32], and then moving to Damascus City and its countryside throughout late 2013 and early 2014 [33]. Khadour then arrived in Deir Ez Zor in August 2014 [34] - preceded by the Republican Guard’s 104th Brigade[35] - and took command of the Eastern Region Security and Military Committee and the 17th Division until mid-2016 [36]. Numerous posts indicate that Khadour spent the rest of 2016 until the beginning of 2019 in the 3rd Corps [37].

Given Habib’s links to the Republican Guard in the available documentation from 2019-2024 (as shown below), it is therefore likely that the MoI’s statement referred to crimes Habib allegedly committed during the 2011-2016 period when Khadour was still affiliated with the Republican Guard as well. While Syrian Archive did not find information on Habib’s activities earlier in the conflict, according to open source information Yousef Habib held several positions within the Republican Guard during the second half of the conflict.

358th Battalion

Posts in April 2019 named Yousef Habib as the commander of the Republican Guard’s 358th Special Tasks Battalion [38]. A previous commander was allegedly killed in March 2018, and it is unclear if Habib held the position immediately afterwards or if his tenure did not begin until April 2019 [39].

Posts in late April [40] and early May 2019 [41] claimed the battalion was moving to Hama to begin operations in Idlib and Hama Governorates. According to two posts by the 358th Special Tasks Battalion Facebook page, the unit was active in the regime’s Idlib Governorate offensive in August 2019[42] and March 2020 [43].

106th Brigade

In December 2021, a post claimed that Habib was promoted to the position of Operations Commander of the Republican Guard’s 106th Brigade [44].

104th Brigade

According to multiple posts, Habib was appointed commander of the 104th Brigade in June 2023 [45]. The position had reportedly been held by Brigadier Mufid Saleh as of 2020 [46].

Malik Abu Saleh

The Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of Malik Abu Saleh on 27 July 2025, claiming he had been working as “the leader of the outlawed ‘Coastal Operations Room’ in the Syrian coastal region,”[vii] referring to the post-December 2024 insurgent network in western Syria. Abu Saleh had previously been a colonel in the Assad regime’s Republican Guard where he reportedly played a central role in training and commanding its special tasks forces [47].

Malik Abu Saleh pictured after his arrest, published by the MoI on 27 July 2025. Source: Ministry of Interior.

The social media posts collected by Syrian Archive described Abu Saleh’s role in a number of ways, but all clearly linked him to combat units which fought in Aleppo city, the Syrian desert, and northern Hama and southern Idlib.

A Facebook post in May 2016 named Abu Saleh as the “Commander of the Reserve and Recruitment Centre in the Syrian Arab Republic [48], and Facebook posts throughout 2017 and 2018 referred to him as the commander of “the Republican Guard Training Centres.”[49] Furthermore, he was consistently referred to as commanding the Republican Guard’s Special Tasks Groups, explicitly linked to several post-2011 militias formed in northwest Syria by the Republican Guard. This includes the “Aleppo Special Tasks Battalion” (sometimes called the Aleppo Special Forces Battalion)[50] and the “Special Tasks Group”[51] (sometimes called the “Commandos for the Liberation of Idlib”[52] and the “al-Saleh Group”[53]). A December 2017 post further claimed the Republican Guard was establishing a new militia called the Idlib-Hama Tribal Brigade which would also be under the command of Abu Saleh [54].

On the ground, the Aleppo Special Tasks Battalion was led by Imad Houmed[55], and the Special Tasks Group by Alaa al-Din Barhoum [56]. However, those two men and the units were frequently linked to Abu Saleh. Barhoum in particular was referred to as a “protege and graduate”[57] of Abu Saleh and several posts explicitly stated that Barhoum was Abu Saleh's Deputy Commander [58].

Abu Saleh’s links to the Aleppo Special Tasks Battalion and Imad Houmed are less clear. Only one post was found, from August 2017, which explicitly linked to the two, “From the Jordanian border... A rest for the warriors of Colonel Malek Abu Saleh's Special Forces Battalion….the Lion of the Republican Guard, Commander Imad Houmed”[59]. According to a 2021 Al-Quds Al-Arabi article, the militia was formed in 2013 around Sunni tribesmen in Aleppo and was directly trained by the Republican Guard.[viii] It is therefore possible that Abu Saleh, frequently referred to as the commander of Republican Guard Training Centres [60], had a role in founding or training and commanding the militia prior to 2017.

Deployments

A May 2016 post claimed that Abu Saleh was leading Republican Guard units in Aleppo [61]. The Aleppo Special Forces Battalion had fought extensively in and around Aleppo city in 2016, potentially under the command of Abu Saleh [62]. In July 2017 he was reported to be leading “the Republican Guard’s Special Tasks Group” in Khanasir in southern Aleppo [63].

In mid-August 2017 the Aleppo Special Tasks Battalion was reported to be operating in the Syrian desert near the Jordanian border [64]. The post referred to the unit being commanded by Imad Houmed, who was pictured, but also called the members “warriors of Colonel Malek Abu Saleh's Special Forces Battalion”, indicating that Abu Saleh was ultimately responsible for the unit.

Two weeks later, a post claimed that Abu Saleh’s Special Tasks Group would soon storm Idlib [65]. (A mid-September post claimed the unit was moving to the Palmyra-Deir Ez Zor area at the time, commanded on the ground by Alaa al-Din Barhoum [66]; Syrian Archive did not find further indications of the unit being active in Deir Ez Zor).

On 27 September 2017, Facebook posts announced that, “By order of the Republican Guard command, Paratrooper Colonel Malik Abu Saleh—commander of the Republican Guard [Training] centres—has been appointed to lead the special operations military formation tasked with storming Idlib Governorate. Fighter Alaa al-Din Barhoum has been appointed as the formation's deputy commander and field operations commander for the assault; the launch point for the operation will be Hama.”[67] Posts throughout October [68] and November [69] 2017 and early January 2018 [70] continued to refer to these forces conducting operations in northeast Hama and threatening Idlib.

On 10 January 2018, a post claimed that the “Republican Guard’s Special Operations units set out today from the Tracked Vehicle School in Hama toward Abu al-Duhur Airport in the Idlib countryside,” and were led by Abu Saleh and Barhoum [71]. A February 2018 post shared pictures of mutilated corpses captioned as, “Under your feet, O Lions of the Republican Guard, the Special Tasks Group in the Hama countryside, graduates the heroes of Colonel Paratrooper Malik Abu Saleh.”[72] A subsequent operation was reported on 26 August 2018, including a video showing a large staging of security personnel reportedly being directed by Barhoum, with the caption, “Alaa al-Din al-Barhoum, commander of the Republican Guard’s Special Missions Centre, has been tasked with receiving the "Lions of the Republican Guard" campaign as it moves from Rastan to Sinjar and Abu al-Duhur. The campaign comprises a force of 7,000 fighters.”[73] However, Syrian Archive did not find public references to Abu Saleh or his relationship with the unit after the February 2018 post.

* Open source records cited in this report are available upon request using the listed reference number. For any queries, please contact us at info@syrianarchive.org. For more information on Syrian Archive methodology please refer to our methods and tools page.

[i] https://thearabweekly.com/syria-moves-contain-accountability-protests-warns-against-revenge-attacks

[ii] https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1326139286275333&set=pb.100066378226077.-2207520000&type=3

[iii] https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1306017898287472&set=pb.100066378226077.-2207520000&type=3

[iv] https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/03/middleeast/syria-aleppo

[v] https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1332598538962741&set=a.549198677302735

[vi] “By All Means Necessary,” Human Rights Watch, 15 December 2011, https://www.hrw.org/report/2011/12/15/all-means-necessary/individual-and-command-responsibility-crimes-against-humanity.

[vii] https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1072356581653606&set=a.549198673969402

[viii] https://tinyurl.com/bdfatuk2

.css-68jq5d{padding-bottom:1.45rem;color:#ffffff;-webkit-transition:0.25s;transition:0.25s;}.css-68jq5d:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}INVESTIGATIONS

Retracing the Careers of Recently Arrested Former Republican Guard Officers

Table Of Contents

INVESTIGATIONS