Unconfirmed reports in the past 24 hours spoke about military movements around the Damascus houses of senior Syrian officials mentioned by U.N. chief investigator Detlev Mehlis in connection with the assassination former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
The Beirut-based An Nahar reported on its Thursday's front-page that "These reports have raised questions on whether these movements were precautionary measures or for other purposes."
This story came after a TV network, owned by Rifaat Assad, the Syrian president's uncle and rival, who is in exile, reported that Syrian forces besieged Wednesday evening the offices of Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law, Asef Shawkat, in Damascus.
Shawkat heads the Syrian army intelligence and is considered to be Assad's closest aide. Shawkat is suspected of being involved in Hariri's assassination.
