Al Arabiya with AP, AFP & Reuters, 17 Oct 2013 – Gunmen have killed a top army Gen. Jamaa Jamaa on Thursday while on duty in eastern Syria, state-run Syrian television said.
“Major General Jamaa Jamaa was martyred while carrying out his national duties to Syria and its people and pursuing terrorists in Deir al-Zour,” Agence France-Presse quoted state television as saying in a breaking news alert.
Jamaa, who was the head of the military intelligence directorate in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, was one of the most powerful Syrian army officers in the country.
He played a major role in Lebanon when Damascus dominated its smaller neighbor.
The city of Deir el-Zour has witnessed clashes between troops and rebels for more than a year.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported clashes in most provinces on Wednesday and said war planes had been deployed to the eastern desert city of Deir al-Zour.
The UK-based Observatory said at least 27 government soldiers had been killed during clashes in Deir al-Zour over the past two days.