Syrian air defence chief killed in offensive

Syria’s air defence chief was killed during an offensive by president Bashar al-Assad’s forces against rebels east of Damascus, Islamist rebels and a monitoring group said.

They said General Hussein Ishaq died yesterday from wounds suffered on Saturday during the assault by Assad’s forces on the town of Mleiha which appears aimed at expanding the president’s control around the capital before a June 3 election.

The air defence forces which have a large base in Mleiha and are responsible for defending against air attacks, have played little part in the war with rebels who have no air power.