Syrian security forces kill high-profile Assad-era commander in raid

Syrian security forces conducted a raid on Sunday, resulting in the death of Firas Hammoud, a high-ranking officer from the Assad era. Hammoud played a significant role in a mutiny against the new government last year. The confrontation ensued when the security forces stormed his hideout in Safita, a city predominantly populated by Christians and Alawites, the latter being the sect to which Assad belonged.

Opening fire upon the arrival of the anti-terrorism and other security personnel, Hammoud was subsequently subdued and neutralized. Safita, located in Syria's Tartus governorate, has a predominantly Christian and Alawite population. According to a Syrian official, the new authorities have compiled files on 6,000 individuals from the former regime, intending to prosecute them for crimes committed mainly during the 2011 to 2024 civil war.

Hammoud was a commander of the 25th Special Mission Forces Division, also known as the Tiger Forces, which was closely aligned with Russia and collaborated with Russian troops during their 2015 intervention to support Assad's regime. In December 2016, under Russian air support, Hammoud's forces spearheaded the regime's capture of Aleppo.

In 2020, the Tiger Forces constituted the majority of regime forces during a Russian-backed offensive aimed at regaining the northern Idlib governorate. The offensive concluded following close negotiations between Russia and Turkey, a supporter of Syrian rebel forces, which nearly led to a military confrontation. Post the fall of Assad in December 2024, Hammoud led remnants of the former regime and other outlaws in the Syrian coast, functioning as a replacement for Ghayyath Dallah, a senior Assad ally.

Dallah, believed to have fled the country along with many top military figures, is suspected to be currently in Russia. Reports indicate that Hammoud was implicated in numerous "armed mutiny operations" targeting government compounds, resulting in the deaths or capture of security personnel from the new administration. Utilizing the pseudonym "Dawn 3," Hammoud engaged in prisoner exchanges and endeavored to establish other armed factions to launch assaults on government buildings and civilians.

These actions transpired in March 2025 during a campaign to vanquish the alleged insurgency in the coastal Alawite region. The authorities reported widespread mass killings, primarily targeting civilians belonging to the minority Alawite sect. The new authorities have apprehended thousands of former regime members suspected of committing atrocities during the civil war.

Notably, several high-profile trials commenced last month, with most detainees receiving the death penalty, including Assad's brothers Bashar and Maher, who were tried while absent.