Late on May 7, a high-ranking officer of the Syrian intelligence was assassinated by unknown assailants in the western Raqqa countryside.
Some sources said the officer, Lt. Col. Ahmed Mohamed, was shot and killed in the town of Dibsi ‘Afnan. Other sources claimed that an improvised explosive device (IED) struck the officer’s car on a road near the town.
Lt. Col. Ahmed Mohamed
Lt. Col. Mohamed was commanding a detachment of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate (AFID) in Dibsi ‘Afnan. The officer, originally from the town of Masyaf in Hama, participated in several battles against ISIS, including the battles of Kuweires and Menagh air bases.
No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination, yet. ISIS maintains a very small presence in southwestern Raqqa. However, it regularly launches attacks from there.
The assassination of Lt. Col. Mohamed could be the beginning of a wave of attacks on government forces in western Raqqa. Similar attacks have been taking place in the southern governorate of Daraa for a few months now.
