Ibrahim Huweija, a former head of Syrian air force intelligence, was arrested by Syrian security forces for his involvement in the 1977 murder of Lebanese leader Kamal Jumblatt. His capture occurred amid intense clashes in Latakia. Jumblatt was a prominent opposition figure against the Assad regime, killed in an assassination linked to Huweija who served under both Hafez and Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian security forces have apprehended Ibrahim Huweija, a former head of air force intelligence, who is a key suspect in the 1977 assassination of Lebanese opposition leader Kamal Jumblatt. According to the state news agency SANA, the arrest occurred during confrontations with supporters of the deposed ruler Bashar al-Assad in Latakia, marking some of the fiercest clashes since his ousting in December.

Huweija’s tenure as head of air force intelligence spanned from 1987 to 2002, initially under Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad’s father. Despite his significant role in Syria’s intelligence community, little is known about him personally, as he is seldom seen in public. SANA reported that Huweija is implicated in numerous assassinations, including the murder of Kamal Bek Jumblatt.

Kamal Jumblatt, a prominent leader of the Druze community and founder of the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party, stridently opposed Hafez al-Assad’s military intervention in Lebanon during the civil war. He was assassinated near a Syrian border post on March 16, 1977. His son, Walid Jumblatt, acknowledged Huweija’s arrest via a post on X, expressing his reaction with “Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest).”

The arrest of Ibrahim Huweija is a significant development in the decades-old case of Kamal Jumblatt’s murder. Huweija, once a powerful figure in Syria’s air force intelligence, faces accusations of involvement in numerous killings during the Assad regime. This event not only highlights ongoing tensions in Syria but also rekindles discussions about the legacy of political violence in the region.

Original Source: www.ndtv.com