Arrests in Syria: Kidnap, torture suspects caught

Shafaq News/ A security operation in Hama led to the arrest of several suspects linked to kidnapping and torture cases, Syria’s Interior Ministry revealed.

At least 17 females remain unaccounted for across Syria, many believed to have been abducted by unidentified armed groups, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The group said others had gone missing under unexplained circumstances, including sudden loss of contact.

The cases span cities including Latakia, Homs, Sweida, Tartous and Hama, with some remaining unresolved for weeks.

Activists said at least five girls have gone missing in coastal Tartous alone over the past week, amid what they described as “worsening security conditions” in the coastal region.

Among them is Aya Talal Qassem, a teenager who vanished minutes after leaving her family's home in the al-Faqasa neighborhood of Tartous to collect her exam card. Her phone rang later but was not answered, then was switched off for several hours.

Activists said the phone was later used by suspected kidnappers to call a relative listed in her call log. No one spoke during the call, but family members reported hearing “cries and sounds of torture.”

The family said they have not received any ransom demands or threats.

The incident triggered widespread reaction in Tartous, with residents and activists urging authorities to act quickly to locate Qassem and others still missing.

Separately, 22-year-old Ranim Ghazi Zreifa was reported missing earlier this week in the town of Masyaf in central Hama, according to social media posts.