Syrian authorities had arrested a former general accused of involvement in the bloody repression of protests in 2011 that sparked the country’s civil war and the 1982 Hama massacre.

Axar.az reports, citing SANA, in a statement on Monday, the Internal Security Forces said that former Major General Mohammad Ali Dirgham held several senior posts, including platoon commander in the Defense Companies during the 1982 Hama events, field commander of the 4th Division between 2009 and 2013, deputy commander of the 5th Division, and commander of the 2nd Corps until late 2018.

Days earlier, the Internal Security Directorate in Latakia, in cooperation with the Anti-Terrorism Directorate, arrested former Major General Jalal Kamel Saqr, commander of the 18th Infantry Brigade under the deposed regime, over involvement in war crimes and arbitrary detentions.

The operation comes as part of the Ministry of Interior’s ongoing efforts to pursue individuals accused of involvement in crimes and violations against Syrians and refer them to the competent judiciary for legal action.