Syrian Authorities Arrest Intelligence Officer Amjad Youssef Over Notorious 2013 Tadamon Neighborhood Massacre

Former intelligence officer Amjad Youssef has been captured in Hama. He is the lead suspect in the 2013 Tadamon massacre that killed hundreds in Damascus.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 24, 2026, 6:01 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Times of Israel

The Capture of a High Profile Fugitive

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced on Friday that Amjad Youssef, a major figure in the former military intelligence apparatus, was detained following a precisely executed security operation. Youssef had become one of the country's most-wanted individuals following the collapse of the previous government in December 2024. Security sources confirmed that the arrest took place in the al-Ghab Plain, located in the western countryside of Hama province, approximately 30 miles from the city of Hama. Images released by the ministry showed the former official in custody, marking a significant step in the new administration's efforts to prosecute figures associated with decade-old atrocities.

Evidence of the Tadamon Mass Execution

The case against Youssef centers on a 2013 massacre in the Tadamon neighborhood of Damascus, which gained global notoriety after video evidence surfaced years later. The leaked recordings show military intelligence officers leading blindfolded and bound civilians toward a pre-dug pit before shooting them at close range. In the footage, at least 41 victims are seen being executed one by one, their bodies subsequently piled into the mass grave and set ablaze using tires and gasoline. According to documented estimates, the broader violence in the neighborhood claimed the lives of nearly 290 civilians, including women and children, during that period of the civil war.

Academic Investigation and International Sanctions

The identification of Amjad Youssef was the result of a two-year investigation by researchers Annsar Shahhoud and Professor Uğur Ümit Üngör from the University of Amsterdam. By creating a false online persona to gain Youssef's trust, the researchers obtained a confession and further details about the operations of Military Intelligence Branch 227. This breakthrough led the United States and the European Union to impose targeted sanctions on Youssef in 2023. Following the publication of the findings by The Guardian and other international outlets, France also initiated a formal war crimes investigation into the incident, citing the graphic nature of the evidence.