ALEPPO, Syria/ ANKARA 

The Syrian army announced Sunday that it detained eight people linked to the former Baath regime as they attempted to cross into areas held by the PKK/YPG terrorist group, which operates under the name SDF in Syria.

The arrests were made during an operation near Deir Hafir in Aleppo governorate, according to a statement from the Syrian Defense Ministry’s Media and Communications Directorate published by the state-run SANA news agency.

Since the ouster of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, Syria’s new administration has launched economic and political reforms aimed at improving conditions across the country.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia just after his ouster, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

A new transitional administration headed by President Ahmed al-Sharaa was formed in January 2025.