On Saturday, the leader of military security, Wassim al-Zarqan, was assassinated while travelling on the road between the town of Qaita and the city of al-Sanamayn in the northern countryside of Daraa. The Ahrar Houran Gathering reported that Zarqan had previously served as the commander of the Berkan Houran brigade before the Assad regime gained control of the Daraa governorate. He had also coordinated with Brigadier General Wafiq al-Nasser, who facilitated his transfer for medical treatment in regime hospitals following injuries sustained from an explosive device in mid-2017.
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Zarqan, who comes from the town of Kafr Shams, has been leading an armed militia associated with the Military Security Branch since 2018. His group has been involved in monitoring regime opponents with the intent of carrying out assassinations, arrests, and drug trafficking in the northern countryside of Daraa. They have also been working on security matters in collaboration with other branches of the regime. Earlier this year, the group published recordings obtained from the phone of State Security Branch agent Amer al-Nassar. The recordings revealed Zarqan’s coordination with al-Nassar to conduct surveillance and carry out assassinations against opponents in the area.
According to opposition sources, Zarqan was implicated in the assassination of Adham al-Karad, a former opposition leader who was killed on the Damascus-Daraa highway on October 14th, 2020. They also accused him of involvement in the assassination of Sheikh Mohammed Atta al-Saadi in the town of Kafr Shams four months ago.
This article was translated and 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.
