The Syrian regime’s intelligence service has arrested a number of officers assigned to guard President Bashar Al-Assad and his presidential motorcade, and moved others to various locations, the independent Syrian news website Human Voice reported.

A security source inside the Syrian intelligence said that Assad’s special intelligence service has transferred ten of the high-ranking officers assigned to guard the presidential convoy to different areas.

Four officers from among the presidential convoy guards have been arrested, the source added, noting that the operation took place in a matter of hours and without any prior knowledge by Al-Assad’s guards.

The reasons behind the transfer of officers and the arrest of others are not known so far, but Human Voice cites speculation of differences between Syrian security agencies and fears of assassinations of prominent figures.

Another source told Human Voice that the operation was aimed at getting rid of any Iranian infiltration so as to avoid any adverse developments.

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