Lebanese Interior: Ali Mamlouk is not present in Lebanon

The Minister of Interior and Municipalities in the Lebanese caretaker government, Bassam Mawlawi, said in an interview with the Lebanese channel MTV that: "Bashar al-Assad's adviser for national security affairs, Ali Mamlouk, is not in Lebanon and did not enter the country, and if Ali Mamlouk enters the country, he will be arrested."

"His pictures were circulated at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport in case he tried to pass through forged papers," Mawlawi said.

He pointed out that Maher al-Assad's wife and son entered Lebanon and left through the airport, and that every unwanted figure who enters Lebanon legally is allowed to leave.

Informed Syrian sources have revealed to the Saudi newspaper "Okaz" that the former Syrian national security chief, Major General Ali Mamlouk, went an hour after Bashar al-Assad's escape to a regional country.

According to the sources, the former Syrian national security chief did not take anyone with him from his private office except his family and some close to the family.

The sources told Okaz that Mamlouk, who is described as the "black box" of the former regime, has good relations with Lebanon and preferred to go there.

Mamlouk is a Syrian intelligence officer close to Assad, called the "black box" of the former regime, and was born in Damascus in 1949.

Maher al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's younger brother, is not yet known for sure, but informed sources in the Syrian opposition say he left suddenly and hastily after learning of Bashar's escape, and other media outlets reported his presence in Russia.

Sh-S

ANHA