After speaking about a "valuable catch," the Israeli journalist Eddy Cohen announced on Friday, via a post on X, the "assassination" of Maher al-Assad, brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Cohen commented on a picture of Maher al-Assad saying, "Make sure to send our regards to Mr. Father and Qassem Soleimani."
On Thursday, Cohen made a cryptic post stating, "All who were with Assad are dead," adding, "The blessed Israeli bombing that targeted the Dimas suburb and the project in the western countryside of the Syrian capital Damascus a few days ago kept the targets, nature, type, and significance of the losses under wraps." He continued, "But what we can tell you now is that the catch was very valuable, and Assad is the only one who survived the bombing this time."
Cohen asserted, "Yes, terror and fear are a nightmare for Assad every minute and moment, and it won’t be long before the Syrians receive news that will make them happy after long years of bloodshed." He concluded his post by stating, "Our office in Damascus will release some information for publication."
In response, the journalist Hussein Mortada, who is close to Hezbollah, denied the validity of this news in a post on X, stating, "All that is being circulated about Major General Maher al-Assad is lies and untruths."
Maher al-Assad is the commander of the "Fourth Division" of the Syrian army and has been a key figure in the ruling regime for decades. He has remained away from the media spotlight, despite his increasing presence in power since 2000, after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad, and is often seen as a tough and militaristic leader. Due to Maher al-Assad’s distance from the limelight, rumors about him have circulated frequently, especially since 2011, often including news of his death, conflicts with his brother Bashar, or supposed challenges to Asma al-Assad, who is expanding her economic influence.
