New Details Emerge on 2008 Israeli Assassination of Syrian General Mohammed Suleiman

Eighteen years after his death, new details have emerged regarding the 2008 assassination of Syrian Major General Mohammed Suleiman, a key aide to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The operation, carried out in the coastal city of Tartus, is now reportedly attributed to Israel's naval commando unit, Shayetet 13.

According to reports citing the memoirs of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and leaked U.S. intelligence documents, Israeli commandos infiltrated from the sea at night to Suleiman's summer home. Snipers positioned approximately 150 meters away successfully targeted Suleiman as he sat on his balcony with guests on August 1, 2008. He was reportedly shot three times in the back of the head and neck and killed before the operatives immediately retreated to a waiting boat at sea.

Suleiman's assassination is believed to have stemmed from his involvement in highly sensitive portfolios, including strategic weapons and military procurement. He was also reportedly responsible for managing the transfer of Iranian weapons to Hezbollah and was considered one of the few individuals aware of Syria's nuclear program details. He directly oversaw the Deir ez-Zor nuclear facility, which Israel bombed in 2007.

Olmert's memoirs align with classified National Security Agency documents leaked by Edward Snowden in 2015, which explicitly attributed the operation to Israeli naval commandos. These revelations and documents have ended a decade of speculation, which initially included theories of an internal Syrian regime power struggle leading to Suleiman's death. The operation, which Israel long officially denied, is considered one of its boldest and the first known instance of targeting such a high-ranking Syrian government official.