Assassination of Former Prisoner Exchange Mediator in Aleppo
On October 17, unidentified armed individuals assassinated Hisham Khazami in the Al-Furqan neighborhood of Aleppo. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Khazami, approximately 55 years old and originally from Maarrat al-Numan in southern Idlib province, was a prominent figure in prisoner exchange negotiations between the former Syrian regime and opposition forces throughout the civil war. One of his most notable roles was mediating the December 26, 2016 exchange deal between the Assad government and Ahrar al-Sham fighters.
Local sources allege that Khazami had ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). His assassination is believed to be part of a broader pattern of targeted killings against individuals affiliated with the former Syrian regime or resistance-linked figures in Aleppo. Several similar incidents have been reported in recent months.
Comment