Lebanese Minister: We Have Not Received a Request from Damascus to Hand Over Assad's Officers

SadaNews - Despite communication between Lebanon and Syria to coordinate on several files, including the case of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons, Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar confirmed that the Syrian government has not officially requested the handover of elements from the former regime.

Nassar explained in an interview with Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that "Western countries requested the handover of elements from the former Syrian regime, but there has been no official request from the Syrian state."

He also noted that coordination is ongoing regarding the issue of Syrian detainees, stating: "About 300 Syrian prisoners are covered by the agreement for their transfer from Lebanon to Syria."

On another note, the Lebanese minister expressed hope that Damascus would assist in the matter of the assassinations carried out by the former regime in Lebanon over the past years."

He emphasized that the Lebanese state is "working to expedite the trial of Islamist detainees," which is a sensitive issue in the country that has been contentious for years.

Three senior Syrian sources, two Lebanese security officials, and an informed diplomat revealed weeks ago that the Syrian authorities requested the Lebanese security forces to hand over more than 200 senior officers who fled to Lebanon after Bashar al-Assad's fall, as reported by Reuters at the time.

It was also indicated that the senior Syrian security official, Brigadier General Abdul Rahman Al-Dabbagh, met on December 18 with Lebanese security leaders in a famous restaurant in Beirut to discuss the situation of these officers.

It is noteworthy that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confirmed on January 11 that the army, the intelligence directorate, and other security agencies carried out raids in several areas in the north and east of the country, but these operations did not result in finding any evidence of officers linked to the Assad regime. However, he emphasized that Lebanon continues to coordinate with Syria in this regard.