Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday announced a sweeping reorganization of the country’s top security posts, making new appointments at the National Security Bureau, the Interior Ministry, and the General Intelligence Directorate as Syria continues restructuring its institutions during an ongoing transitional period.
Among the most significant changes, Interior Minister Anas Khattab was given the additional role of director of the National Security Bureau, while continuing to serve in his current ministerial position.
Khattab has risen to become one of Syria’s most prominent security figures since the fall of former President Bashar Assad. Following the establishment of the new government, he was first appointed to lead the General Intelligence Directorate before taking over as interior minister in March 2025. In that role, he has led a wide-ranging overhaul of the Interior Ministry, which has included merging security agencies, bolstering civilian law enforcement, and stepping up efforts to fight terrorism and organized crime.
Hussein al-Salama was appointed deputy director of the National Security Bureau after previously heading the General Intelligence Directorate. Before taking on that intelligence role, al-Salama had served as governor of Deir ez-Zor.
President al-Sharaa also tapped Brig. Gen. Mulham al-Shantout as deputy interior minister for security affairs. Al-Shantout previously served as the head of internal security in Hama province. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Tahan, who had been serving as deputy interior minister, was elevated to director of the General Intelligence Directorate.
Syrian officials say the restructuring is part of a broader push to rebuild and redistribute responsibilities among the country’s security agencies following its political transition.
The personnel changes come on the heels of a troubling string of security incidents in the capital. On July 2, a bomb went off at a café in central Damascus, killing five people and wounding 16 others, according to the Interior Ministry. Shortly after, two improvised explosive devices detonated while bomb disposal teams were attempting to neutralize them, injuring 18 people including four police officers. On July 9, the Interior Ministry announced that a cell believed to be responsible for the attacks had been arrested, with early investigations pointing to connections with the Islamic State group.
