High-ranking member of Assad’s regime arrested in Syria

A man rides a bicycle past the landmark clock tower of the central Syrian city of Hama on Jan. 27, 2025.

Syria’s new authorities have announced the arrest of Atif Najib, a former senior security officer and cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Najib is seen by many as being responsible for suppressing the initial protest which triggered Syria’s 2011 uprising.