Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, backed by Russian Intelligence reports, has dismantled an espionage network, including top security and army officers, a well-informed source told Zaman Al-Wasl Saturday.
Maj. General Ma’an Hussein, one of Assad’s top aides and the head of the army’s communication department, has been arrested as part of a wide security operations.
The arrest campaign has included senior Intelligence officers, the source said.
The source said the espionage network is most probably linked to the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The main mission of the communication department, which coordinates with security and military services, is to spy on the Syrian telecommunications, and monitoring local TV channels, social media accounts.
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 Jan. 7, 2020, in Baghdad.
At the time, intial reports 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 US drone attack two hours later.
The CIA has had a deep and long history in Syria since March 1949, when it was involved in Syria’s first military coup.
Then-army Chief of Staff, Husni al-Za’im took power, overthrowing President Shukri al-Quwatli.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
