- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

Syria Denies Dozens of Officers Arrested

Damascus is denying a claim made by a Syrian opposition group that dozens of military officers were arrested in northern Syria last week.
 
The Washington-based Reform Party of Syria (RPS) reported that dozens of mid- to high-ranking officers of the Syrian Armed Forces were arrested in Deir A-Zour, Aleppo and Hamma in "high-visibility raids."
 
The raids were backed by tanks and personnel carriers, RPS added, quoting sources which claimed that President Bashar Al-Asad feared a military coup.
 
"I assure you there were no arrests," Syrian parliament Foreign and Security Committee secretary, Lt.-Col. (ret.) Ahmad Munir Muhammad, told The Media Line. "I do not remember a single case of arrest in the army since the secession [of Syria from the United Arab Republic in 1961]."
 
Muhammad said those who were behind the report were "mercenaries" who acted against their country’s interests.