Syrian authorities announced on Wednesday the arrest of a former military officer identified as a chemical weapons expert tied to sarin gas production and storage during the tenure of former President Bashar al Assad. The arrest of Colonel Ahmed Habib Ali marks one of several detentions since Assad’s ouster in December 2024, as the current government continues efforts to address alleged war crimes committed during the country’s 13-year civil war.

The Interior Ministry stated that Ali was responsible for managing sarin gas storage facilities and chemical weapons manufacturing within Unit 417, a primary chemical weapons depot located near the capital, Damascus. According to official statements, Ali oversaw the production of approximately 20 sarin-laden bombs, each weighing roughly 250 kilograms, which were deployed in attacks on Syrian towns and cities in 2013 and 2017.

The ministry’s announcement referenced the August 2013 attack, the deadliest chemical assault during the conflict, which targeted rebel-held areas and resulted in over 1,400 casualties, according to U.S. intelligence and human rights organizations. At the peak of the civil war, the Assad government agreed to relinquish its chemical arsenal to avert potential U.S. military strikes. However, subsequent reports accused Damascus of launching at least four additional chemical attacks between 2014 and 2017, utilizing both sarin and chlorine gases on opposition-controlled territories.

Ali’s detention follows Syria’s recent reinstatement to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) last week amid international scrutiny over the country’s chemical weapons activities. Since April, the Syrian judiciary has initiated trials against dozens of individuals accused of war crimes linked to the prolonged conflict. The government maintains that these proceedings signal a commitment to justice in the post-Assad era.