According to a report by Anadolu Agency on Sunday, April 26, 2026, Syrian authorities have released a video confession from a key suspect in the 2013 Tadamon massacre, shedding new light on one of the most widely documented atrocities of the country’s civil war.
The Syrian Interior Ministry on Sunday published the recorded statement of Amjad Youssef, identified as a principal perpetrator in the killings that took place in the Tadamon neighbourhood of Damascus. The video, shared on the social media platform X, came two days after officials announced his arrest during a security operation in Hama province.
In the footage, Youssef who served as a first assistant in Military Intelligence’s Regional Branch 227 admitted to carrying out executions of detainees and disposing of their bodies in an attempt to conceal the crime.
“The person who appeared in the video circulating on social media is me,” he said, confirming his identity as the individual seen in previously leaked footage that brought global attention to the massacre.
According to his account, he acted alongside Najeeb Al-Halabi, a member of the National Defense Forces, in transporting detainees accused of supporting armed opposition groups. He said approximately 40 individuals were taken to a site where a pit had been excavated using a bulldozer.
The detainees were then shot one by one, with their bodies thrown into the pit, he stated. Youssef further described efforts to destroy evidence by burning the corpses.
“We placed tires under them, then more tires on top and set them on fire so that no smell would spread in the area,” he said in the confession.
He claimed that he did not personally select the victims and did not receive direct orders from a superior officer, stating that names were provided based on reports accusing the individuals of aiding armed groups financially or otherwise.
The Tadamon massacre occurred on April 16, 2013, when at least 41 people were killed near the Othman Mosque in Damascus. The killings remained largely undocumented until 2022, when a leaked video surfaced showing detainees being executed and their bodies burned.
The footage sparked international outrage and renewed calls for accountability over alleged war crimes committed during the Syrian Civil War.
Syrian authorities described Youssef as the main figure behind the massacre and said his arrest is part of broader efforts to investigate abuses committed during the conflict.
Since the end of the war, the current administration has pledged to pursue justice for victims and hold perpetrators accountable. The political landscape in Syria shifted significantly after former president Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia in December 2024, ending decades of Ba’ath Party rule. A transitional government led by Ahmad al-Sharaa was subsequently established in January 2025.
Officials say investigations into wartime atrocities remain ongoing, with additional arrests expected as authorities continue to examine evidence and testimonies related to past abuses.
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