Anti-IS Former Syrian General Found Killed in Arsal

A former Syrian army general who deserted in 2013 was found murdered in Lebanon near the border on Friday, with his family suspecting that Islamic State group jihadists killed him.

"General Yehya Zahra, who had deserted from the Syrian army, has been assassinated. His bullet-riddled body was found Friday near a refugee camp for Syrians at Arsal" near the border, a Lebanese security source told AFP.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Zahra had worked in the Syrian army's electronic warfare department before deserting.

It said he had been kidnapped before being killed on Friday.

Originally from Yabrud in the Qalamun region of Syria bordering Lebanon, Zahra went to Arsal after the Syrian army retook his hometown in March 2014.

The Observatory said he was known for his opposition to the Islamic State, and accused IS of killing him.