The commander has been blamed for some of the bloodiest and most pointless losses of the war. 

The 26-year-old was due to be hanged before the sudden change.

An operation to seize two ‘ghost fleet’ oil tankers linked to Venezuela and Russia was captured on video.

Pilot Weinstein – who leaves behind partner Kivia Martins and a baby son, Eiger – had travelled to Cape Town alone to do the difficult flight.

Syrian soldiers make their way through the snow in the country’s mountainous Qalamoun region,near the border with Lebanon,during a patrol to secure the frontier (Picture: AFP)