French investigating magistrates have issued a warrant for the arrest of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad for suspected complicity in war crimes, particularly the deliberate targeting of civilians in an attack, according to a legal source on Tuesday.

The warrant was issued on Jan. 20 in relation to the case of Salah Abou Nabour, a Franco-Syrian national killed in a bombing raid in Syria on June 7, 2017.

This marks the second warrant issued by French judges against the ex-Syrian leader, who was ousted in early December 2024 by rebel forces led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Back in November 2023, French judges had also issued an arrest warrant for Bashar al-Assad on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes following an investigation into chemical attacks in Douma and Eastern Ghouta in August 2013, resulting in over 1,000 deaths.

The Assad government has consistently denied accusations of using chemical weapons during the civil war that began in March 2011.