Syrian defense officer killed, another survives assassination attempt in Idlib
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – A Syrian Ministry of Defense officer was killed on Saturday evening in the city of Sarmada, north of Idlib, after being targeted by unidentified gunmen, while another military commander survived a similar assassination attempt in the same region.
A security source told North Press that armed assailants opened fire directly on Saddam Abu Oday, a military trainer with the Ministry of Defense, killing him instantly before fleeing the scene.
Syrian Security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the perpetrators.
Earlier the same day, a government source reported that unidentified gunmen had also shot and killed a member of the Internal Security Forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior in Idlib southern countryside.
In a related incident, Abu Said Ras al-Hissan, a commander with the Ministry of Defense, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when gunmen fired at his vehicle near the al-Hajez al-Aswad road close to Kafr Lusin, north of Idlib. The attackers fled immediately after the incident.
The security source noted that investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible, while no group has claimed responsibility for either attack so far.
These incidents come amid a surge in assassinations across northwest Syria, targeting both military and civilian figures, in a region plagued by rampant insecurity and widespread weapons proliferation.