Prominent Figure Working for Hezbollah Found Murdered in Syria

The individual known as "R.A," who worked for the Lebanese Hezbollah, was found dead in his home in the border town of Rankous, located in the western Qalamoun region of the Damascus countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. According to local sources in the area, the deceased was considered one of the most prominent individuals working for Hezbollah in western Qalamoun and was at the forefront of the regime forces that committed a massacre against nine young men from Rankous on January 15, 2020. At that time, a heavily armed regime force entered the town after receiving information from an informant about the presence of fighters from the town who were unaffiliated with any factions but had refused to "settle" and move to Idlib, preferring to remain in the mountainous areas of the region away from sight. This led to clashes between the two sides that lasted several hours, resulting in the deaths of a regime officer along with three other soldiers, as well as nine local fighters who were accustomed to being present in the town late at night. The informant was also killed during the clashes. Following the assassination, Rankous has witnessed increased security measures by regime checkpoints, along with the spread of checkpoints belonging to armed militias loyal to Hezbollah in the area.