According to media reports, Syrian rebels publicly executed Assad’s military official who had reportedly fed prisoners’ bodies to his pet lion.
Talal Dakkak, a member of the elite 25th Special Mission Forces Division, also known as the Tiger Forces, was killed by a local militia in the western city of Hama, according to media reports.
Videos published on X on Tuesday purportedly show preparations for Dakkak’s execution, although his death has not been officially confirmed. The reports suggest he was publicly executed.
Dakkak, also known as Abu Sakhr, was one of the most notorious Syrian military leaders and powerful businessmen in Hama. At one point, he commanded 1.500 members of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate. He gained “notoriety” after allegedly stealing a lion cub from a zoo and feeding it with the bodies of his prisoners, according to a 2019 article. Reports also claim he filmed the cub attacking a live horse and “posted it on social media.”
The infamous Assad military official was reportedly responsible for numerous other heinous crimes, including kidnapping, murder, and organ trafficking, the article adds. He was allegedly involved in smuggling and selling unregistered vehicles as well as drug trafficking.
The former taxi driver is believed to be among several high-ranking military officials captured by rebels following the fall of the long-standing regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
