Assassination of former Tawhid official Khalil Akkawi -

Assassination

The period following the 1985 battle between Tawhid and the Syrian army witnessed a curbing of anti-regime sentiment in Tripoli. Despite efforts by the Syrian army to assert control through arrests and forced disappearances, discontent among local residents only grew, particularly in Bab al-Tebbaneh. This neighborhood became a focal point for mass demonstrations against the Assad regime, led by former Tawhid official Khalil Akkawi. Akkawi, known for his moderate stance and respected by various sectors of Tripolitan society, was assassinated by Syrian intelligence services on February 9, 1986 while storming out of a meeting with Syrian intelligence officers near  Abu Ali bridge in Tripoli, he was shot 25 times by gunmen in a Mercedes at 2:30 pm, causing outrage among the people. It is said that 50,000 Tripolitans took part in his funeral (L’Orient Le Jour, 10/2/1986) which further galvanized opposition to the Syrian presence. In response to Akkawi's murder and in a bid to eject the Syrian army from Tripoli, an armed group emerged in Bab al-Tebbaneh, initiating preparations for a mass uprising. Their assault on Syrian troops in late December 1986 triggered the Syrian army's retaliation, culminating in what has come to be known as the "massacre of Bab al-Tebbaneh."