[DAMASCUS] Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday announced a series of senior appointments across Syria’s security establishment, reshuffling leadership at the National Security Bureau, the Interior Ministry, and the General Intelligence Directorate as the government continues to reorganize its security institutions during the country’s transitional phase.
Under the new appointments, Interior Minister Anas Khattab was named director of the National Security Bureau while retaining his ministerial post.
Khattab has emerged as one of Syria’s most influential security officials since the fall of former President Bashar Assad. After the formation of the new administration, he was appointed head of the General Intelligence Directorate before becoming interior minister in March 2025. Since taking office, he has overseen a broad restructuring of the Interior Ministry, including consolidating security agencies, strengthening civilian policing, and expanding efforts to combat terrorism and organized crime.
The appointments also named Hussein al-Salama as deputy director of the National Security Bureau after serving as head of the General Intelligence Directorate. Al-Salama previously served as governor of Deir ez-Zor before assuming leadership of the intelligence agency.
Al-Sharaa also appointed Brig. Gen. Mulham al-Shantout as deputy interior minister for security affairs after he served as head of internal security in Hama province. Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Tahan, formerly deputy interior minister, was named director of the General Intelligence Directorate.
The changes come as Syrian authorities continue restructuring the country’s security institutions and redistributing responsibilities among key agencies as part of broader efforts to rebuild state institutions following the country’s political transition.
The appointments follow a series of security incidents in Damascus in recent weeks. On July 2, a bomb explosion at a café in central Damascus killed five people and injured 16 others, according to the Interior Ministry. Days later, authorities said 18 people, including four police officers, were injured when two improvised explosive devices detonated as bomb disposal teams attempted to defuse them. On July 9, the ministry announced the arrest of a cell accused of carrying out the attacks, saying preliminary investigations indicated links to the Islamic State group.
