Issam al-Buwaydani, the leader of the terrorist group Jaish al-Islam, was arrested earlier this week at Dubai airport as he arrived in the UAE, prompting protests in Damascus demanding his release.
Buwaydani has led Jaish al-Islam, a brutal group that fought against Bashar al-Assad’s regime and took control of the Eastern Ghouta region. After the fall of Assad in December, Jaish al-Islam was integrated into the Syrian forces, with Buwaydani taking a role in the new defense ministry.
According to sources close to Buwaydani, he was arrested on Thursday while trying to leave the UAE. Buwaydani, traveling on a Turkish passport, entered the country for a private visit, but the reasons for his arrest remain unclear.
“We do not know the reasons for his arrest,” one source said. “The Syrian government has contacted the Emirates, but we haven’t received any response.”
Jaish al-Islam’s spokesperson, Hamza Bayraqdar, has demanded Buwaydani’s “immediate and unconditional release,” calling him “one of the symbols of the Syrian revolution.”
The UAE has not confirmed the arrest.
Earlier this month, the UAE hosted Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist terror group that helped oust Assad. In Damascus, dozens protested, calling on the regime to intervene for Buwaydani’s release.
Buwaydani took over Jaish al-Islam after its founder, Zahran Alloush, was killed in 2015. The group is known for its violent tactics and is accused of involvement in the 2013 kidnapping of human rights activists, including journalist Razan Zeitouneh. Jaish al-Islam denies these allegations.
As Syria grapples with its ongoing conflict, Buwaydani has appeared alongside Sharaa aka Jolani multiple times, and former Jaish al-Islam member Majdi Nema is set to stand trial in France for alleged war crimes committed between 2013 and 2016.
