Leader of pro-Syria regime paramilitary survives assassination attempt 

The leader of the Ba’ath Commando Regiment, a pro-Syrian regime volunteer militia, escaped an assassination attempt after an improvised explosive device detonated near his house in the Musbaq Al-Suneh neighbourhood in the district of Barzeh of the capital Damascus, according to the opposition news site Enab Baladi.

Jihad Barakat, who has close ties with President Bashar Al-Assad’s family, was appointed the leader of the Ba’ath Brigades in 2015 tasked with supporting the Syrian Arab Army in defeating “Wahabi terrorist armed groups” from the land.

Barakat is said to have received a commemorative shield after the decision of Brigadier General Suheil Al-Hassan to cancel the military contracts of 6,500 troops in the Ba’ath Commandos deployed throughout Syria.

The militia was dissolved in September 2018 following the demilitarisation zone established in rebel-held Idlib following an agreement between Turkey and Russia.

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