Rebel Snipers Kill Key Syrian General

Gen. Jamaa Slain in Deir Ezzor

Syrian Major General Jamaa Jamaa, the top military intelligence officer for Deir Ezzor Province, was assassinated today in the province by rebel snipers, according to Syrian state media.

Jamaa had previously served as a top Syrian military official in Lebanon, and was blacklisted by the US Treasury Department in 2006 after the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, though he was never charged with involvement in the death.

Deir Ezzor is a key province in eastern Syria, and clashes were reported between military and rebel forces in several parts of the oil-rich province. The details surrounding the assassination are unclear, though it was said to happen in the capital city’s Rashdiya District.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory claimed Jamaa was shot in the middle of a battle in which the military was fighting against al-Qaeda forces. That hasn’t been confirmed by any other outlets yet.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.