Syrian president appoints new national security, intelligence chiefs

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa made a series of appointments on Sunday to the heads of the National Security Bureau and the General Intelligence Service.

Sharaa named Interior Minister Anas Khattab as head of the National Security Bureau while retaining him in his current post, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

He also appointed Abdul Qader Tahan as head of the General Intelligence Service.

The appointments also included Hussein Al-Salama, who was appointed as deputy head of the National Security Bureau, and Mulham Al-Shantout as assistant interior minister for security affairs.

The National Security Bureau oversees all of Syria's security agencies, while the General Intelligence Service is responsible for gathering intelligence, providing national security assessments on domestic and foreign matters, and combating espionage and terrorism.

The appointments come as part of the new Syrian administration's efforts to strengthen national security, promote stability, and remove obstacles to development and reconstruction.

In December 2024, Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia, bringing an end to the Baath Party’s decades of rule that began in 1963. A transitional administration led by Sharaa was formed in January 2025.