Assad cousin's son detained over killing

Syrian President Bashar Assad is under pressure from all sides, militarily and politically. Now, because of the actions of a relative, he is being forced to deal with the anger from his own power base.

Suleiman Assad, son of one of the president's cousins, reportedly shot a high-ranking officer of the Syrian air force in a fit of road rage. Now he's been arrested, state media reports, though until now very little of the incident had been reported in the state-run national media.

"Suleiman Hilal al-Assad has been arrested and transferred to the appropriate authorities," Syrian-state news agency SANA reported, without adding details.

Fatal encounter on roadside

Witnesses describe the August 6 fatality as starting with Suleiman Assad speeding through suburbs of the coastal city of Latakia in his black Humvee with no license plates.

Suleiman Assad, a young man in his twenties, is said to have taken offense after being overtaken by another vehicle. A pursuit ensued and the Assad clan member allegedly ran the other car off the road. He is then said to have cursed at the driver before shooting him once in the chest with his Kalashnikov assault rifle.

Latakia is one of the principle strongholds controlled by Assad loyalists after nearly four and a half years of civil war. Home to many Alawites - the religious sect of Assad's elite clan - Latakia is a stronghold for the family's most staunch loyalists.

Assad's victim was Air Force Colonel Hassan Sheikh, who has many relatives and supporters in Latakia and the region.

The dead man's brother Nasser, who was reportedly with the colonel at the time of his death, told "Al-Watan" newspaper that he witnessed the victim being "killed in cold blood because he did not give way in a traffic jam."

The newspaper quoted him saying that he hoped "the blood of my brother will save us from these criminal actions that kill people on the streets," in an apparent reference to the growing pro-regime militias in war-strewn Syria that are heavily armed and often act with impunity.

Young, tough and above the law

Until now, the young Assad family member has been able to disregard the law, says researcher Shashank Joshi of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a UK-based defense think-tank.

Joshi compares Assad's immediate family to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's inner circle, such as his sons, who were infamous for their antics and brutality.

"He's known as a thug,” Joshi said of Suleiman Assad, who the researcher says has been connected to violent incidents in the past but has managed to escape sanction.

The young Assad is known to be a commander in an Alawite Shabiha militia in the region. These groups are responsible for intimidating people and suppressing dissent directed at Damascus. The militia are also known to engage in criminal activities and run lucrative smuggling rings.

Pillars of the government

Alawites make up about 10 percent of the population and are among President Assad's most ardent loyalists.

But the killing of Col. Sheikh has caused anger to boil over. Irate residents of Latakia flooded the streets Saturday in a rare move demanding that Suleiman Assad be brought to justice.

A Facebook page calling for the execution of the young Assad has gathered some 7,000 "likes" in just a few days.

Al-Jazeera first reported that the governor of Latakia told Syrian radio that his office would investigate the killing. "Al-Watan," a newspaper known for its close government links, hinted that President Assad may punish his own kinsman.

But Suleiman Assad has seemed unmoved, posting photos of himself holding a hookah water pipe and rifle on Facebook.

Frustrated with conscription

Joshi, the security expert, says anger over this killing is about more than just one personality. There is broad frustration with the government spreading among Syrians who until now have been loyal to Assad.

"It's part of a general evolution of dissent and fear among those citizens who support the regime," Joshi said.

That's because of growing opposition over an increasing number of military conscripts killed fighting in the Syrian civil war. But despite these sacrifices, Damascus is less able to protect its loyalists.

He notes that in a recent televised speech, President Assad said that for "tactical reasons" the government would no longer be able to hold some of its territories from advancing opposition forces.

The analyst says it's difficult to determine whether outbursts of dissent will weaken the regime. The deadly road rage incident had no political cause and was not directed against the government.

Nonetheless, Joshi says it comes at a bad time for the embattled president. Self-styled Islamic State fighters and other militants are advancing and the government cannot use barrel bombs and other indiscriminate methods in Latakia where its loyalists live.

"If (President Assad) doesn't get it under control, it could become a serious threat to his regime," Joshi said. "It remains to be seen, whether or not the fight over Latakia will spread."