Name: Leaked calls reveal plot by al-Assad regime officers to destabilise Syria
Uploaded: 2026-01-02T01:41:11.508Z
Duration: 2 min 57 s
Description: An Al Jazeera Arabic investigation obtains recordings of Suheil al-Hassan discussing Israeli support and regrouping efforts.

An Al Jazeera Arabic investigation obtains recordings of Suheil al-Hassan discussing Israeli support and regrouping efforts.

Damascus

Al Jazeera has obtained hundreds of documents and audio recordings that reveal efforts by former Syrian regime officers to reorganize armed groups and destabilise Syria. The materials, sourced from an individual who infiltrated the regime's military network, detail a leadership structure led by businessman Rami Makhlouf and senior officers such as Suhail al-Hassan and Ghayath Dalla. 

The leaks indicate that up to 168,000 fighters may still be loyal to former regime networks, with operations spanning Syria's coastal, central, and Damascus regions. The revelations come amid ongoing instability and violence in Syria, including a recent bomb attack in Homs, and highlight concerns over sectarian tensions and the challenges facing the new government in consolidating national unity.

Leaked calls reveal plot by al-Assad regime officers to destabilise Syria

These are recent images of Suhail al-Hassan once one of the most feared military commanders under Syria's former regime. Al-Jazeera has obtained hundreds of documents and audio recordings from a person who infiltrated the former regime's military network posing as an Israeli officer offering support. Hassan now lives in Russia with his son. According to the source of the leak the location was identified using phone data after the devices were compromised. Using that cover the individual contacted senior officers from Assad's former military offering coordination and assistance. The files reveal efforts by former regime commanders to reorganize armed groups after the fall of the Assad government. Documents reviewed by Al-Jazeera outline a leadership structure placing businessman Rami Makhlouf a cousin of Bashar al-Assad at the top followed by senior former officers including Suhail al-Hassan and Ghayath Dalla. One of the audio recordings features Suhail al-Hassan himself discussing fighter numbers and financial backing. We have a very large number of fighters officers and soldiers. At the moment there is a respectable and trustworthy person providing assistance Mr. Rami Makhlouf. Handwritten documents attributed to Hassan suggest up to 168,000 fighters could still be loyal to the former regime networks spread across Syria's coastal areas central region and around Damascus. The revelation come at a time of growing instability in Syria's coastal region home to much of the country's Alawite population where sporadic violence and security incidents have raised fears of renewed sectarian conflict. Last week a bomb attack on a mosque in Homs carried out using an improvised explosive device placed near the entrance killed and wounded worshippers underscoring how fragile the security situation remains. The new government in Damascus still struggling to consolidate power now faces a widening national unity crisis. With fears armed groups could exploit sectarian tensions and derail the transition. Other leaked files detail financing sources and weapons inventories including artillery, anti-tank missiles and small arms along with their geographic distribution. The documents also reference planning for armed activity in Syria's coastal regions as well as coordination beyond Syria's borders including in neighboring Lebanon Ali Hashim Al Jazeera

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