The Eighth Brigade of the Russian-backed Corps, in the eastern countryside of Daraa, southern Syria, released the confessions of a Hezbollah operative admitting to his group plotting and carrying out assassinations in Daraa.
Based in the village of Saida in the eastern countryside of Daraa, Badr al-Shaabin was videotaped acknowledging that he was coordinating with an officer from the Syrian air force intelligence to target leaders and officers of the Eighth Brigade.
Al-Shaabin revealed that for each operation he plotted and implemented was receiving financial rewards that reach up to SYP 3 million.
Abu Mahmoud al-Horani, the official spokesman of the opposition’s Horan Free group, told Asharq Al-Awsat that a local group affiliated with the Eighth Brigade had raided al-Shaabin’s residence with the goal of arresting him after confirming his involvement in assassinations.
The Eighth Brigades had planted two moles in al-Shaabin’s cell to uncover its operations.
The cover of one of the moles was compromised and they were detained by al-Shaabin’s group. Eighth Brigade leaders then tried to mediate for the release of their spy with al-Shaabin’s father, but al-Shaabin was still answering the orders of his air force intelligence employers.
Al-Shaabin was ordered to kill the mole.
During mediation efforts, al-Shaabin fired shots injuring both his father and brother.
After hearing rounds of fire, Eighth Brigade units stationed around al-Shaabin’s residence stormed in and arrested al-Shaabin.
Before the arrest was made, clashes erupted for over two hours. Nidal al-Shaabin, one of al-Shaabin’s associates, was killed.
Al-Shaabin then surrendered, released the Eighth Brigade’s undercover agent, and taped his confessions.
Al-Hourani added that WhatsApp conversations between al-Shaabin and an assistant in the air force intelligence services nicknamed “Abu Wael,” showed his involvement in assassinations for the air force intelligence branch and the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militia, in exchange for money, weapons and ammunition.
