Jabaht al-Nusrah claims killing Assad's intelligence head by mortar round not bullet

Al-Qaeda-linked group in a statement issued today claimed killing Assad's intelligence head in Deir al-Zour days ago.

Jameh Jameh had been killed by the mortar rounds ofJabhat al-Nusra during its liberation battle of al-Rushdia neighborhood, 250 soldiers of Assad's army have been killed within the last few days, the statement added.

State-run television reported Thursday that  top Syrian army general has been killed in fighting with rebels.

 The killing of Assad's veteran Mukhabarat man, Jameh Jameh, is a painful punch to after the explosion of security compound July 2012, activists said.

The television report said Gen. Jameh Jameh was killed while on duty in eastern Syria. It said Jameh, who was the head of the military intelligence directorate in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, was killed by rebels in the provincial capital that carries the same name.

Jameh was one of the most powerful Syrian army officers in the country and played a major role in Lebanon when Damascus dominated its smaller neighbor.

The TV report did not say when Jameh was killed. It said he died "while he was carrying out his mission in defending Syria and its people."

The city of Deir el-Zour has witnessed clashes between troops and rebels for more than a year.

Syria's revolt began in March 2011 with largely peaceful protests against the Assad regime before eventually turning into a civil war. The conflict has killed more than 100,000 people, forced more than 2 million to flee the country and left some 4.5 million others displaced within the country.