Over the past two weeks, pro-regime pages have mourned several officers in Assad’s forces who have passed “mysteriously.” The whereabouts and circumstances of their deaths have not been disclosed. The Defense Ministry has not made any official announcement as well.
Over the past years, the Assad regime’s security and military establishment has deliberately concealed the circumstances of the killing of senior officers and soldiers as well.
Last week, several journalists and activists of the network Syrian Reporter documented the killing of 42 officers in Assad’s forces, during the past four months. The killings happened in sporadic incidents ranging from “military and security actions to accidents, diseases or natural death.”
In turn, pro-regime pages mourned four “high-ranking” officers, namely:
Elias Nadim Ghazaleh
Last Friday, pro-regime social media pages mourned the Major General in Assad’s forces, Elias Nadim Ghazaleh, nicknamed “Abu Kenana,” without revealing the whereabouts and circumstances of his death.
The Major General hails from the town of al-Muzaina in the western countryside of Homs. The funeral was at the Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Muzaina.
Some have suggested that Major General Elias was killed during the recent Israeli bombardment of the Scientific Research Center in Masyaf, which the Syrian regime has not yet officially confirmed.
Last Thursday, an Israeli missile strike targeted the scientific research center in Masyaf. The Assad regime announced the injury of civilians, material losses, and fires in some places of bombardment.
The Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria also announced that “Four Israeli F-16 fighter jets launched a strike with four winged missiles and 16 guided missiles from the skies of the Eastern Mediterranean targeting a Syrian scientific research center in the city of Masyaf.”
Gandhi Hantou
Pro-regime pages, including Masyaf’s page, have mourned Colonel Gandhi Mahmoud Hantou without giving any details about the whereabouts and circumstances of his death.
Hantou hails from the Masyaf al-Lakba area and is a member of the military security branch in Tartous. This comes amid speculation that he was killed during the Israeli shelling of the scientific research center in Masyaf.
Diaa Ahmed Abbad
Maj. Gen. Diaa Ahmed Abbad, nicknamed “Abu Ali,” aged 54, hails from the city of Qardaha in Latakia.
According to an obituary published by pro-regime pages, the officer “fell into the hands of treachery and terrorism” on August 23th, while “performing his national duty.”
Pro-regime pages said that General Abu Ali was killed in Aleppo, without giving details of his death.
Abdul Karim Ahmed Hassan
Pro-regime pages, in the middle of this month, mourned Abdul Karim Ahmed Hassan, nicknamed “Abu Ammar.”
According to pro-regime journalist Ayham Ghanem, Colonel Abdul Karim died alongside Firas Haidar Hassan after suffering an accident at sea at the Officers’ Club in Tartous. The news comes amid skepticism by regime supporters about the circumstances of his death.
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.
