Syria’s Interior Ministry-affiliated Internal Security forces announced today, Wednesday, September 16, the arrest of a network in al-Rastan (northern Homs countryside, central Syria) that they said was “involved in receiving money to carry out activities targeting civil peace and creating fake pages with a sectarian character under the direction of parties outside the country.”
In a statement published today by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the Internal Security forces said the Internal Security Directorate in al-Rastan arrested members of the network following an operation that it said relied on “electronic monitoring and close surveillance.” It added that preliminary investigations revealed activities involving communication with foreign parties and the receipt of money in exchange for carrying out what it described as “subversive agendas.”
Fake Pages
According to the statement, the detainees were in contact with “suspicious parties” and received money to carry out activities that security forces said targeted “civil peace and social stability.”
The statement added that investigations also revealed that members of the network had created “fake pages with a sectarian character under the direction of operators abroad” and used them to publish content that security agencies said was fabricated and intended to stir tensions among Syrians.
Internal Security forces accused the network’s members of publishing material “glorifying the former regime,” referring to Bashar al-Assad’s government, which was overthrown in December 2024, as well as monitoring and photographing several checkpoints and security positions.
The statement did not specify the nature or names of the pages that had allegedly been created. It also did not identify the foreign parties with which it said the network members had communicated or from which they had received money.
Fake Videos and Images
Security forces said the authorities seized “highly sophisticated fake videos and images” from the detainees, which they said had been used to “undermine citizens’ trust,” without providing further details about the nature of the material.
Internal Security forces attached photographs of four people whom they said were members of the network, without specifying the total number of detainees or explaining the role each person allegedly played.
They added that investigations and legal proceedings were continuing ahead of referring the detainees to the judiciary.
Internal Security forces called on citizens to “remain vigilant and not be drawn in by anonymous accounts that spread rumors,” urging them to rely on trusted official sources for information.
Previous Security Challenges
The announcement of the network’s arrest comes as the Syrian government faces security challenges linked to efforts to contain local tensions and prevent security or criminal incidents from developing into confrontations with social or sectarian dimensions.
Homs governorate has witnessed security incidents in recent months that authorities said they addressed to prevent tensions from spreading. In November 2025, a man and his wife were killed inside their home in Zaidal, south of Homs, and sectarian phrases were written using the blood of one of the victims. The incident prompted Internal Security forces to deploy in the area and impose a curfew in neighborhoods that had witnessed tensions.
In June, Homs city also witnessed armed clashes in the al-Waer neighborhood during a security operation targeting a group accused of theft and armed robbery. Two members of the Internal Security forces were injured during the operation.
Internal Security forces also imposed a temporary curfew in several villages in the western Homs countryside in March after a local administration building in Tal al-Shour was vandalized, as part of a security campaign that the forces said was aimed at controlling the security situation and pursuing those involved.