One Year After Abduction in Sweida, Fate of Syrian Civil Defence Chief Unknown

Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al‑Saleh visited the family of Hamza Ammareen, saying no new information exists on his whereabouts.

• Minister al‑Saleh visited the family in Nawa, Daraa, on the one‑year anniversary of Ammareen's abduction during a humanitarian mission in Sweida.
• Al‑Saleh said negotiations continue but the National Guard in Sweida has not acknowledged the full number of detainees it holds.
• Ammareen’s brother Ghazwan stated that indirect channels have conveyed oral assurances that Ammareen is alive.
• On 16 July 2025, armed men stopped Ammareen’s marked Civil Defence vehicle in Sweida and took him to an unknown location while he was responding to an emergency call to evacuate UN personnel.