The Internal Security Directorate in Aleppo arrested Imad Nafouri, a former Air Force general during the era of the former regime, on Monday, July 28, according to the state-run Syrian Al-Ikhbariya channel.
Mohammad al-Saeed, the media office director for Internal Security in Aleppo, said Nafouri—formerly the commander of the al-Seen Airbase in rural Damascus—was arrested while attempting to forge documents to flee Syria.
According to the Internal Security’s media office, the arrest followed surveillance and an intelligence-led operation carried out by the security branch in the Aziziya area. Nafouri has since been referred to the judiciary to face prosecution for the crimes he allegedly committed.
Who is Imad Nafouri?
Nafouri hails from the city of al-Nabek in the Damascus countryside and graduated from the ninth class of the Air Force Academy. In 2012, he flew MiG-29 fighter jets as part of the 699 Squadron under the 17th Air Brigade.
He was later promoted to brigadier general and appointed chief of staff of the 30th Brigade at al-Dumayr Airbase, then became commander of the 17th Air Brigade, replacing Meizar Sawan, who was appointed chief of staff of the 20th Air Division at the same base.
The 17th Air Brigade was among the most active in bombing areas under opposition control, according to the “Syrian Revolution Archive.“
Nafouri later served as Director of Air Operations within the Air Force Command—considered the most powerful and dangerous department in the Air Force, as it issues all operational orders for aerial campaigns across Syria.
He personally oversaw the bombardment of his hometown, al-Nabek, in 2015. Following that incident, he was promoted to chief of staff of the 20th Air Division for six months, then appointed head of the Southern Unified Command in al-Dumayr and promoted to the rank of major general in recognition of his services. In 2019, he was appointed Director of Air Operations.
Ongoing Arrest Campaign
On July 27, the Syrian Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of several former officers and personnel from the former regime, including individuals allegedly involved in the “coastal events” that took place in March. The arrests are part of a broader security crackdown.
In a statement, Brigadier General Abdul Aziz Hilal al-Ahmad, head of Internal Security in Latakia province, said specialized security units dismantled a terrorist cell in under 24 hours. The cell was led by Maher Hussein Ali, who had previously carried out attacks against Internal Security targets.
According to the statement, Maher Ali was planning new attacks on military and security sites in Latakia.
Investigations revealed that the cell had direct coordination with Maher al-Assad and Waddah Suhail Ismail, commander of the so-called “Makzoun Regiment,” and received logistical support from Hezbollah and other sectarian militias.
Al-Ahmad said this coordination was part of a deliberate subversive plot aimed at destabilizing the region and threatening security in the Syrian coastal areas.
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