Syrian former spy chief dies after brawl with rival

The sacked head of Syria's political intelligence services has died weeks after brawling with a rival spy chief in a heated argument over Iran's role in the Syrian war, reports say.

Rustum Ghazaleh, 62, a general and former head of the army's political security directorate, died earlier this week, according to the UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

His death comes just over two weeks after he was involved in a violent quarrel with the head of the regime's military intelligence directorare, Rafiq Shahadah. Ghazaleh was reportedly severely beaten in the fight, which according to reports also involved a group of Shahadah's men.

Both intelligence chiefs were later dismissed from their jobs by the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad.

Sources had previously told al-Araby al-Jadeed that Ghazaleh had expressed fears that he might be murdered, and that his death would be framed as suicide.

The Syrian Observatory also reported on Friday that the conflict stemmed from disagreements on Iran's role in the Syrian war.

"Ghazaleh was admitted to hospital more than once last month, and, according to doctors, he was in a critical condition, and his body was not responding well to the medications he was given," a source told al-Araby.

A number of those who recently visited Ghazaleh cited his concern over "the constant threat that Baath Party officials are facing".

Ghazaleh was the head of Syria's military intelligence in Lebanon before its withdrawal in 2005.

He was interrogated along with five other Syrian officers by the international commission investigating the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, in February 2005.