2 government officers killed in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Unidentified gunmen killed on Thursday a colonel of the government forces in Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria.
A local source told North Press that unknown gunmen, who were riding motorcycles, shot to death Colonel Ali Habib Khalil while driving his car in the town of al-Mayadin, east of Deir ez-Zor.
The source said Khalil was a member of the General Intelligence Directorate of the Syrian government. He hailed from Tartus Governorate.
His killing is suspected to be related to previous disputes with security figures on smuggling routes and checkpoints within the town, according to the source.
In the town of al-Asharah in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, unidentified gunmen stormed the house of Lieutenant Ali Khedr and shot him to death.
Khedr, who hailed from Homs Governorate, served in the Division 17 of the government forces in Deir ez-Zor.
The governorate is divided by the Euphrates River into two parts; east of the river which is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and west of the river which is controlled by the government forces and Iranian-backed militias.
Since the start of the Syrian war, it has witnessed many bloodshed and conflicts especially during the era of ISIS control.