Syria arrests 5 Assad-era air force officers over strikes on populated areas

DAMASCUS: Syrian security forces have arrested five former air force officers accused of involvement in deadly airstrikes on populated areas during the country’s civil war under ousted President Bashar Assad. The officers, including pilots, field commanders and operations room personnel, were detained by Internal Security Forces during a series of operations in the coastal province of Tartous over their alleged involvement in “planning, managing and executing airstrikes against populated areas,”