According to Shabiha privately interviewed by The Star, the Shabiha were established in the 1980s by Namir al-Assad, President Hafez al-Assad's cousin, and Rifaat al-Assad, the former president's brother.
Shabiha |
Engel and his crew said they believed that a Shabiha group loyal to al-Assad were behind the abduction, and that the crew was freed by the Ahrar al-Sham groups five days later.