Communications Advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Luna al-Shibl died of injuries following a car accident in Damascus, the pro-Qatari Arab newspaper Al-Jadeed reported on Wednesday night.
According to the pro-Qatari Arab newspaper, the incident was a deliberate accident, implying an assassination attempt.
The report stated that the driver of an armored car was arrested after colliding with al-Shibl’s car. Initially, the advisor was taken to the hospital with severe injuries, including severe brain hemorrhaging. However, her condition later deteriorated, and the doctors announced her death.
According to a report on Ynet, Shibl was not popular and had accumulated dangerous enemies during her career. One of these enemies was Asma al-Assad, President Assad’s wife, who previously attempted to have Shibl removed from her position following rumors of an affair between the Syrian president and his advisor.
Another in the Syrian government who attempted to have Shibl removed was Assad’s media advisor, Bouthaina Shaaban. Furthermore, senior officers at the palace strove to deter military personnel from interacting with Shibl, and those who interacted with her were taken for interrogation, according to the report on Ynet.
As the only Druze in the presidential palace, Shibl believed her close connections to the president would ensure her safety. However, according to reports, Hezbollah operatives in the country, with the assistance of Iranian personnel, made false accusations about Shibl, including that she handed sensitive information to Russian figures in the country.
Her brother, who was in a senior military position at the palace, was suspected of passing intelligence to Israel and is under investigation pending further decisions. Her husband, was arrested shortly before he attempted to flee to Russia, on accusations of embezzlement and bribery.
Following the announcement of her death, Iran demanded four senior officers at the Syrian palace be arrested and interrogated by a senior Revolutionary Guard officer in the country.
“Luna al-Shibl enjoyed a special status, known as very vigilant and loyal to Bashar Assad. Only in the last month did her troubles begin, when Hezbollah and the Iranians targeted her, rightfully so in their view. It was clear the story would end in disaster,” Ynet cited a highly-placed source in Syria who escaped to a European country.
Major military reforms
Meanwhile, the regime in Damascus announced changes in Syria’s military structure. In its first phase of changes, tens of thousands of soldiers will be released from reserves starting July this year, since most of the battles in the country have already ended.
The Syrian army’s statement said that the goal of the reform is to maintain the army’s readiness for war. However, the outcome might be unpredictable and could even change the nature and character of the Syrian military.
One of the reasons for the change in the military is the severe economic crisis in the country. Additional military reforms are related to cost-saving measures by merging several corps with similar functions or missions, such as the Transportation Directorate and the Vehicle Directorate.
The Syrian army, after a bloody decade of civil war, is worn out and impoverished. The solution Assad found at the time for the severe shortage of soldiers came at a high cost. Iran sent tens of thousands of fighters trained by the Revolutionary Guards to help the Syrian regime – Shia militias from Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Maariv contributed to this article.
