A member of the security forces loyal to the Syrian interim government guards a checkpoint previously held by supporters of the ousted President Bashar al-Assad, in the city of Hmeimim, in the coastal province of Latakia, on March 11, 2025. (Credit: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP)
A former Syrian diplomat who defected under the administration of ousted President Bashar al-Assad was shot dead along with his brother in southern Syria, an NGO said Wednesday.
Gunmen burst into the home of the former diplomat, Noureddine al-Labbad, in the town of al-Sanamayn, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Damascus, on Tuesday evening and opened fire on him and his brother before fleeing, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The UK-based observatory, which has an extensive network of sources in Syria, said Labbad served as a diplomat under Assad until 2013 when he defected.
According to the observatory, Labbad had returned to Syria two weeks earlier from France, where he had represented the Syrian Opposition Council after defecting.
Security forces imposed a curfew in the town after several cars were set on fire and grenades exploded following the attack, an AFP journalist reported. By morning, the curfew was lifted and traffic gradually resumed.
Videos shared on social media appeared to show armed men entering what was said to be Labbad’s house, but AFP could not independently verify them.
No details were available on the circumstances or motive behind the killing, but in recent months, tribal violence and acts of revenge have been frequently reported, particularly since Assad’s ouster in December.