Syrian authorities have reportedly apprehended a key suspect accused of direct involvement in the mass killing of civilians in the coastal city of Baniyas back in 2013, state media outlets announced. The operation marks a notable development in ongoing security efforts across the country.

According to reports from the state news agency SANA on Thursday, intelligence officials intercepted and detained Ali Kayali—widely known by his alias Mihrac Ural—just as he was attempting to cross the border. The circumstances of his capture highlight the persistence of local security tracking.

Investigators claim that Kayali played a leading and orchestrating role in the brutal killings of civilians in both Baniyas and the nearby village of Bayda in western Syria. During that turbulent period, he commanded an armed faction that allegedly remained fiercely loyal to then-president Bashar al-Assad.

Source: www.aljazeera.com