Tartous:Yazan Abbas, a former aide to Suheil al-Hassan, a prominent commander under Syria's ousted regime, was killed in a clash with internal security forces in Tartous province, western Syria. The incident occurred during an operation against an armed cell on Wednesday, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the clash resulted in one member of the armed cell, which was led by Abbas and allegedly planning armed robberies, being injured. The ministry reported that Abbas and his group opened fire on security patrols during an ambush, leading to the seizure of weapons and ammunition by the security forces.

The Counterterrorism Department identified the group as a four-member cell linked to remnants of the former regime and accused them of planning terrorist operations and armed robberies targeting civilian property. Late Tuesday, the Syrian official news agency SANA noted that security forces had neutralized Abbas, injured another cell member, and seized weapons in an ambush in eastern rural Tartous.

Search and pursuit operations are ongoing to arrest the remaining members of the cell, as reported by SANA. Suheil al-Hassan, known as 'The Tiger,' was a commander of the Tiger Forces under the ousted regime and is listed on the UK's Syria sanctions list. The Assad regime was toppled on December 8, 2024, by revolutionaries led by Ahmad al-Sharaa. Bashar al-Assad had ruled Syria since 2000, succeeding his father, Hafez al-Assad, who was in power from 1971 to 2000.