Phone book leads international hunt for Assad spy chief Hussam Luka
A dusty phone book hidden in a former luxury apartment in Damascus has become a lifeline for reporters and investigators trying to locate Hussam Luka, the ex‑head of Syria’s main intelligence agency. The book, full of redacted names and numbers, points to a complex web of contacts – doctors, military commanders and even the wife of a former regime official – that may lead to his current whereabouts in Russia.
The phone book first drew public attention when it was photographed by BBC journalists during a raid on Luka’s apartment after the fall of Bashar al‑Assad in December 2024. 155 numbers were extracted, 51 of which could be dialed; the rest were dead or unserviceable. The investigators called every number in order of importance, but all calls ended in hung‑up or evasive answers, revealing how tightly the regime had locked down its key operatives.
A breakthrough came when a former guard answered the phone and offered the number of Luka’s personal bodyguard, “Mahmoud.” Mahmoud eventually met a BBC reporter at a hotel and confirmed that Luka had fled the capital the night before, taking a large sum from the office safe, citing a traveller to Russia with a “good Russian passport but a different name.” The link to Russia was further strengthened by a contact’s Russian‑assigned phone number in the book, pointing to the Almighty appearance of Moscow as the likely sanctuary.
The BBC’s attempt to speak with Luka over the phone faltered completely. The call ended with a crackling line and a quick hang‑up. Later, a second, Syrian‑registered number was found. Short‐dated messages from the number went unanswered. Despite being close to the Kremlin, Russia has declined to comment on its policies regarding the extradition of ex‑regime officials.
The story also lays out the horrific crimes Luka allegedly orchestrated, most notably the “Eid al‑Adha massacre” of 2015 in Homs, where 28 civilians – 17 children – were killed. The new Syrian court is pressing for an international warrant and justice against Luka, who remains a powerful figure in exile, protected by a network of Russian allies.
For Syrians grieving lamb‑leftied children and for the world demanding accountability, the phone book remains a stubborn relic of a regime that once guarded its secrets behind layers of secrecy. The hunt continues, now over streets of Moscow where the former spy chief is believed to be hiding from a court that’s still chasing him.
