DEADLY

Syria: Army General Assassinated

First killing of high-ranking Assad official.

Syrian state television reported Saturday that gunmen in Damascus had assassinated an Army general—the first killing of a high-ranking military official in Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The state-run news agency said three gunmen opened fire at Brig. Gen. Issa al-Khouli as he left his house Saturday morning. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing. Also Saturday, activists said Syrian troops shelled the Baba Amr district in central Homs, killing at least four people. The U.N. estimated in January that 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began in March—but recent chaos has made it impossible to get up-to-date numbers.