Syria says 9 detained Assad-era pilots carried out strikes during 3,200 flight hours since 2011

Preliminary investigations with nine detained pilots showed that they carried out airstrikes targeting several areas during more than 3,200 flight hours logged since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011, a source at Syria’s Interior Ministry said Friday, Anadolu reports.

The remarks were carried by state-run Alikhbariah TV a day after authorities announced the arrest of the nine pilots in the western province of Latakia over their involvement in “war crimes against the Syrian people.”

The pilots used different types of military aircraft, most notably Mi-24 attack helicopters, Su-22 fighter jets, MiG-29s and MiG-21s, the source said.

The strikes particularly targeted towns in Eastern Ghouta in the Damascus countryside, Aleppo and its northern countryside, Deir ez-Zor and surrounding areas in the east, and the Hama countryside in central Syria, the source added.

Their missions included combat sorties, “bombing revolutionary positions, populated areas, facilities and vital sites,” as well as close air support, reconnaissance and target identification, according to the source.

The source said they were also responsible for equipping helicopters and fighter jets with various types of explosive munitions and carrying out the required technical checks and operational preparations before takeoff.

Their duties also included identifying locations and coordinates, preparing target data and supplying it to pilots, directing them during missions, and transporting former regime officers to combat zones and military positions, the source added.

A Thursday statement by Latakia Internal Security Commander Abdulaziz al-Ahmad said a series of security operations conducted in cooperation with the Counterterrorism Branch led to the arrest of the pilots following surveillance, tracking, intelligence gathering and investigations.

He said the detainees had participated, according to the investigations and available information, in “numerous crimes and violations against the Syrian people,” exploiting their military positions and expertise in combat and helicopter aviation.

The statement said the operations they took part in included bombardment and attacks that caused large numbers of deaths and injuries, inflicted extensive damage on cities and towns, displaced residents and destroyed homes, facilities and civilian infrastructure.

The detainees were identified as Brig. Gen. Manhal Anwar Saleh, Brig. Gen. Sami Ibrahim Mahmoud, Brig. Gen. Ghiyath Ali al-Rahiyah, Col. Issa Ezzeddine Khaddur, Col. Marwan Salah Nafesh, Col. Bashar Samir Wannous, Lt. Col. Ayham Hamza Aliya, Capt. Ayham Ahmad Daoud and Capt. Ammar Issa Junaidi.

Al-Ahmad said the arrests were part of efforts to pursue anyone found responsible for crimes against Syrians and ensure that those implicated are referred to the competent judiciary.

Syrian authorities periodically announce the arrest of people accused of committing violations against civilians during the years of the revolution, which began in March 2011 before opposition forces entered Damascus and toppled the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024.