| ABC News | - |
The head of Syria's
air defenses was killed in clashes near the capital, Damascus, a
government official and activists said Sunday, one of a few high-ranking
military officers to be killed in the country's 3-year-old civil war.
Official: Head of Syrian Air Defense Killed
The head of Syria's air defenses was killed in clashes near the capital,
Damascus, a government official and activists said Sunday, one of a few
high-ranking military officers to be killed in the country's 3-year-old
civil war.
Lt. Gen. Hussein Ishaq died Saturday as rebels attacked a Syrian air
defense base near the town of Mleiha, the official said. He spoke on
condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to brief journalists
about Ishaq's death.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed
Ishaq's death. It said he died from wounds he suffered during Saturday's
fighting.
The Observatory, which bases its reports on a network of activists on
the ground, said Ishaq was killed in clashes with fighters from the
Nusra Front, the al-Qaida affiliate in Syria, and other Islamic rebel
groups.
Heavy fighting has happened around Mleiha in recent weeks. Forces loyal
to Syrian President Bashar Assad have conducted a heavy bombing campaign
around the area, which rebels see as strategically important due to its
proximity to the capital.
Ishaq is one of a few high-ranking military officers to be killed in the
Syrian war. It's unclear if his death will have any wider strategic or
military impact on the war itself, however.
———
Associated Press writers Ryan Lucas and Diaa Hadid in Beirut contributed to this report.
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