Syria’s Intelligence arrested three senior army officers following an espionage scandal that hit Bashar al-Assad’s special office and his inner circle, source told Zaman al-Wasl Thursday.
Bri. Gen Mohamed Tawfiq al-Mohamed, Bri. Gen Shawkat Hassan Mayhoub and Colonel Ibrahim Salem al-Dwairi were among a group of high-ranked army and intelligence officers held over links with foregin security services.
Two weeks ago, Bashar al-Assad backed by Russian Intelligence reports dismantled an espionage network, including top security and army officers, a-well-informed source told Zaman al-Wasl.
Maj. General Ma'an Hussein, one of Assad's top aides and the head of the army's communication department, has been arrested amid high security procedures.
The main mission of the communication department, which coordinates with security and military services, is to spy on the Syrian telecommunications, and monitor local TV channels, social media accounts.
In June, Assad’s finance ministry ordered the "precautionary seizure" of assets belonging to Hussein, his wife and children.
The State Intelligence, backed by information and data from the Russian intelligence, has tracked the network following the death of Iran's Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani on January 7 in Baghdad.
At the time, initial reports have accused a Syrian agent of providing information about the Soleimani's movements inside Syria and the exact time of his departure from Damascus airport before his death in a U.S. drone attack two hours later.
The source said the espionage network is most probably linked to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The CIA has a deep and long history in Syria since it had delivered and made up Syria's first military coup in March 1949.
Zaman Al Wasl
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.