In a major development, Syria’s Julani regime security forces, led by the Al Qaeda offshoot Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have arrested Talal Naji, the Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), in Damascus. According to local sources cited by Al Mayadeen on Saturday, all offices affiliated with the PFLP, including those belonging to the General Command, have been shut down in Syria.
This move represents a significant escalation against Palestinian resistance groups operating within Syrian territory. The arrest and closures come in the wake of a series of massive Israeli airstrikes carried out across multiple regions in Syria on Friday night, targeting areas including Daraa, Hama, Idlib, and Latakia. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights described the bombardment as some of the most intense strikes in Syria’s history.
The timing of the arrest has drawn attention, especially as it follows a similar incident just last week when Julani regime forces arrested two Palestinian resistance leaders affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). These back-to-back actions suggest a growing crackdown on Palestinian factions that have long maintained a presence in Syria.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) is a prominent Palestinian political and military organization, and the detention of its Secretary-General, along with the closure of its offices, marks a sharp turn in how the Syrian authorities are handling Palestinian groups.
The situation remains tense, with concerns mounting over the future of Palestinian resistance activity in Syria, especially amid increased military operations and political shifts in the region.
