The phone book that led us to Assad's spy chief in hiding
How we tracked down "The Spider" who was once one of the most-feared men in Syria.
In an abandoned luxury apartment in Damascus, armed men sifted through designer clothes and documents, discovering photos of Hussam Luka, a top henchman of Assad, who was accused of orchestrating atrocities and sanctioned by the UK, US, and European Union. Luka, known as 'The Spider', was among the most feared men in the country, but his whereabouts were unknown after Assad's fall in December 2024.
Inside the apartment, a notebook contained dozens of names, which could potentially help in tracking Luka down and uncovering his crimes.
Brief written by urgent.news from BBC News's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
