Mugniyah's car after the assasination
Photo: AFP
Hizbullah's top military commander Imad Mugniyah, mysteriously killed in a blast two months ago, has been the subject of lively discussion in the Arab press in recent days.
Who Dunnit?
News agencies
Senior Hizbullah military leader believed to be the mastermind behind attacks against Jewish center in Buenos Aires in 1994 and US military barracks in Beirut in 1983 killed in mysterious blast in Damascus. Hizbullah blames Israel for assassination, Israel denies involvement
The officers' families were reportedly warned not to inform anyone of what had happened.
The story came in the wake of a barrage of recent reports involving the Head of Syrian Military Intelligence, Assaf Shawkat. Former Syrian Vice President, Abdul Halim Khaddam claimed that Shawkat, President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law, was placed under house arrest after revealing information about the circumstances of Mugniyah's death.
Other reports claimed that Shawkat's wife fled the country along with Assad's sister in order to seek political asylum in France or one of the Arab countries. French officials denied the country's involvement in the issue.
Al-Shiraa further reported that intelligence officers this week opened fire on a military vehicle driven by an officer who was reportedly in league with Shawkat. The officer was not injured.
On Sunday Syria was scheduled to release for publication the conclusions of the investigation into Mugniyah's death, but officials said the statement was delayed due to the large-scale home front drill that took place in Israel. The officials did not provide a new date for the report's release.