Syria Arrests Two Palestinian Jihad Leaders Amid Pressure to Expel Militants - The Syrian Observer

The detention of the leaders of this movement, allied with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, comes as the Syrian authorities try to obtain the lifting of the American sanctions on the country, a prerequisite for launching its reconstruction.

Two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures were arrested in Damascus last week after the United States asked the Syrian transitional government to expel the Palestinian militants in exchange for the lifting of some sanctions.

Syria detains two members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Security forces of the new Syrian transitional government in Damascus detained two Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) members, according to various media reports. The two arrested PIJ members are Khaled Khaled, who is in charge of the group’s operations in Syria, and Yasser al Zafari, who is described as heading PIJ’s organizational committee. Saraya al Quds, the military wing of PIJ, called for the men to be released.

Syria Arrests Two Palestinian Jihad Leaders Amid Pressure to Expel Militants - The Syrian Observer

Syrian security forces have arrested two senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement in Damascus, in what sources describe as part of a broader “security procedure” rather than a criminal investigation. The arrests come at a time of increasing international pressure on Syria’s transitional government to distance itself from non-state armed groups operating on its territory. In a statement issued Tuesday, Saraya al-Quds—the arm…

Why did Syria arrest two senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad members?

Two top officials of Palestinian Islamic Jihad were arrested “without explanation” in Syria, according to the Palestinian militant group. The detentions occurred, PIJ said, “in a manner that we did not wish to see from brothers.” The two men have reportedly been held since last week. The background: The Assad regime in Syria was both haven and backer of Palestinian armed groups for decades. In December, it was toppled by militants led by Hayat T…