Jordan Says Syrian Rebel Commander Killed in Family Feud
A Syrian rebel commander was shot dead in Amman in an apparent revenge killing by family members, Jordanian police said Sunday as the opposition blamed the Damascus regime for his death.
Maher Rahhal, who headed the Liwa al-Mujahideen Brigade, one of the groups fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, "was shot twice in Abu Nseir district" late Friday, a security official said.
A police statement said that an initial probe and witness accounts indicate that Rahhal's murder was linked to a "family feud" while the security official said it was not politically motivated.
Police is looking for two Syrian suspected of having killed Rahhal days after he arrived in Jordan.
"When the suspects found out that he was in Jordan, they went after him and shot him dead," the statement said.
There were no further details but police said they are still investigating the murder.
The opposition Syrian National Coalition condemned the killing in a statement posted on its official website, and said it holds the Assad government "responsible for this crime."
The group urged the Jordanian government to launch "a serious investigation" and arrest those responsible for killing Rahhal.
His murder was the first of its kind in Jordan, home to more than 600,000 Syrian refugees.
The Assad government accuses Jordan of supporting the rebels but Amman denies the claim.
Source: Agence France Presse
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