Patrols from the Military Security branch made a significant discovery when they uncovered a mass grave within an abandoned water well in the western Qalamoun area of Damascus countryside. This discovery came after apprehending a member of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia in the region, who confessed to committing multiple murders and concealing the bodies in the well.
According to a confidential source who informed Syria TV, the Military Security Branch successfully captured a notorious drug dealer named Ziad Omar in the town of al-Jubba situated in the western Qalamoun region. The arrest took place early last month at a hospital in the neighbouring city of Yabroud, shortly after Omar survived an assassination attempt in his hometown.
Russian Official: Erdogan and Assad May Meet After “Roadmap”
The source revealed that a dispute had arisen between Omar and a group of young men from the al-Hajj family, which escalated into an attempted murder. During the altercation, Omar sustained gunshot wounds to his neck and flank, prompting his transfer to the al-Bassel hospital in Yabroud. As of today, he remains detained there for medical treatment.
It was further disclosed that Omar had entered the Bassel hospital using someone else’s identification card, as he was wanted by the security branches on various criminal charges. A security report was subsequently submitted to the military security by an informant from the local community, notifying them of Omar’s presence at the hospital. This valuable tip led to his subsequent arrest.
Arrest Uncovered Mass Grave
The source has provided confirmation that Ziad Omar confessed to committing four murders between 2018 and 2022. He admitted to concealing three of the bodies inside an abandoned well located in the Majar al-Jubba area on the outskirts of his hometown.
In a collaborative effort, joint patrols involving the Military Security and Criminal Security branches successfully recovered the four bodies from the designated well earlier this month. The retrieval took place in the presence of a forensic committee, the director of Assal al-Ward district, and the local mukhtar.
To ascertain the identities of the deceased, the patrol committee transported the remains to the Directorate of Forensic Medicine in Damascus countryside for medical examinations.
As the investigation progressed, a source familiar with its course disclosed the identities of the individuals involved in the killings under the leadership of Ziad Omar. It was revealed that some of these individuals had vanished shortly after Omar’s arrest.
The group comprised six members, including Akram Omar, who fled Syria and was granted asylum in the Netherlands after committing the initial crime in 2019, and Nawras Haidar, presently residing in Lebanon.
The group also included Muammar Zaidan, who fled to Lebanon a day after Omar’s arrest at the hospital, according to the source.
The source further confirmed that joint patrols conducted by the Military Security and Criminal Security apprehended three additional members of the network. They are identified as Mohamed Mounir Omar, who was arrested during a raid on his residence in the city of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, and Ammar Omar and Khaled Omar. The latter was captured at his residence in Jubba and is the nephew of Ziad Omar and the leader of a local group associated with the National Defense militia in Western Qalamoun.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
