Syria Blames Israel For Killing Of Key Intelligence Asset
Syrian government-controlled media has blamed Israel for the assassination of Midhat as-Saleh a key intelligence asset living on the Golan Heights.
Syrian government-controlled media has blamed Israel for the assassination of Midhat as-Saleh a key intelligence asset living on the Golan Heights.
Syrian media reported Saturday evening that as-Saleh was gunned down as he was near his home in the Golan Heights overlooking Israeli territory. It is not clear if he was shot by assailants, a sniper or from an aircraft.
As-Saleh, who was originally from the Golan Heights, served many years in an Israeli prison on security charges and then fled back to Syria where he became a member of the Assad-controlled parliament. But he is said to have been a top intelligence operator that was also working with Iran in Syria.
Although Israel has made no comments about the killing, it has repeatedly said in the past that it will not allow Iran to establish bases near its northern borders. Hundreds of Israeli airstrikes have hit Iran-linked targets across Syria since 2017.
He is said to have been in charge of intelligence gathering in the Golan Heights, using non-Jewish Arabs and Druze as spies in Israel.
