“Azrael of Sednaya” captured: The story behind the viral name
Shafaq News/ The name Ous Salloum, also known as the “Azrael of Sednaya,” has been trending on social media platforms recently. Photos of Salloum, reportedly detained, have gone viral alongside a video of Mazen al-Hamada, a Syrian detainee who spoke about enduring torture at the hands of Salloum before his death in al-Assad’s prisons.
The “Deterrence of Aggression” operations room confirmed Salloum’s arrest during a series of security raids conducted in Homs on Thursday. Salloum is accused of killing and torturing numerous prisoners during his time as a guard at Sednaya Prison, a facility notorious for human rights abuses under the rule of Bashar al-Assad.
Authorities revealed that these raids, targeting remnants of al-Assad’s forces, are part of an extensive effort to bring war criminals and perpetrators of atrocities to justice.
Sweeping Operations in Homs
The Syrian Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with the Directorate of Military Operations, launched a large-scale operation in various Homs neighborhoods, including Wadi al-Dhahab and Akrama. The campaign aims to apprehend war criminals, individuals involved in severe crimes, and those who have refused to surrender their weapons or participate in reconciliation efforts.
The State-run SANA news agency cited an Interior Ministry official urging residents to cooperate with authorities. “Residents are advised to stay indoors and avoid the streets while security forces complete the operation. Cooperation with authorities is crucial until further movement is authorized,” the official stated.
Who is Ous Salloum?
Ous Salloum, a former prison guard in Syria's infamous Sednaya Prison, has become a symbol of the brutality of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Born in the village of Al-Qabu in the Homs countryside, Salloum hails from a region known for its loyalty to al-Assad during the years of the Syrian revolution.
Salloum joined the security apparatus of al-Assad regime, quickly gaining a reputation for his ruthlessness. Survivors of Sednaya Prison, often referred to as the “Human Slaughterhouse,” have recounted harrowing stories of Salloum’s actions, earning him the nickname “Azrael of Sednaya”—a reference to the angel of death.
According to survivor testimonies reported by the media, Salloum is alleged to have been directly responsible for the execution of more than 500 detainees through methods described as barbaric. Among the most gruesome practices attributed to him was crushing prisoners’ heads with concrete blocks, a method intended not just to kill but to instill terror among other inmates.
Former detainees have described Salloum as one of the most brutal figures in the prison, highlighting his unrelenting use of extreme violence to assert control and spread fear. His actions, according to survivors, epitomized the systemic abuses that defined Sednaya during al-Assad’s rule.
