Caught on camera: Syrian pharmaceutical tycoon kidnapped in broad daylight in Aleppo

Dubai: Syrian businessman and pharmaceutical manufacturer Fadi Barakat was kidnapped by unidentified armed men outside his factory in the western countryside of Aleppo, with surveillance cameras capturing the daylight abduction, according to local media reports.

The incident occurred on Saturday, in the Al Mansoura area, where Barakat, the owner and managing partner of Barakat Pharmaceutical Industries (BPI), was intercepted by a group of armed men outside his manufacturing facility.

Footage circulated on social media showed several men approaching the businessman and forcibly taking him away, leaving his personal vehicle behind.

The video, widely shared by Syrian and regional news outlets, sparked concern among business owners and industrialists over the security situation in Aleppo.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the identity of the kidnappers and their motives remain unknown. There has been no confirmed information about Barakat's whereabouts or whether his abductors have made any demands.

Barakat Pharmaceutical Industries, established in 1972, is one of Aleppo's longstanding private pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company produces medicines for human use, including treatments for diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and high blood pressure, as well as antibiotics and dermatological products.

The kidnapping prompted an outcry among pharmaceutical manufacturers and industrialists, who warned that attacks targeting business owners could undermine industrial production, discourage investment and force businesses to relocate outside Syria.

In a statement, industry representatives expressed concern that continued insecurity could threaten the pharmaceutical sector, which plays an important role in supplying medicines to the Syrian population.

Meanwhile, Syrian human rights organisations issued an urgent appeal on Sunday demanding that authorities establish Barakat's whereabouts, ensure his safety and conduct an independent investigation into the incident.

The Syrian Federation of Human Rights Organisations said the businessman had reportedly been taken away by armed men wearing military-style uniforms. It stressed that the identity and affiliation of those responsible had not been independently established.

The organisations also called for Barakat's family and lawyers to be allowed to contact him and demanded that anyone responsible for an unlawful abduction be held accountable.

As of Sunday, November 8, there was no independently confirmed information about Barakat's fate, the identity of his abductors or their motives.