Islamic Jihad and Hamas officials based in Damascus have increased their security amidst speculation that Israel is planning to carry out targeted assassinations against their leaders in Syria.
Earlier this month Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal lost his deputy, Hisham al-Labadani, in a hit that was carried out in broad daylight in the western Syrian city of Homs. Media reports said Syria warned Palestinian Authority terrorists in Damascus that Israeli operatives were planning an assassination attempt.