Syrian President Al-Sharaa Reorganizes Security and Intelligence Apparatus to Strengthen National Security

The administration aims to consolidate internal control and facilitate post-conflict reconstruction amid ongoing security challenges.

Published On 19 Jul 202619 Jul 2026

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has restructured Syria’s security and intelligence leadership, centralizing authority under Interior Minister Anas Khattab and appointing new officials to key roles within the National Security Bureau and General Intelligence Service.

Under the reshuffle, Khattab assumes dual responsibilities as head of the National Security Bureau, which coordinates Syria’s security agencies, while retaining his position as interior minister. Hussein al-Salamah was named deputy head of the bureau, Mulham al-Shantout appointed assistant interior minister for security affairs, and Abdul Qader Tahan designated as head of the General Intelligence Service.

The government framed the reorganization as a step toward enhancing national security, ensuring stability, and removing barriers to Syria’s reconstruction process. The General Intelligence Service, tasked with domestic and foreign threat assessments and counterterrorism operations, now operates under Khattab’s direct oversight, streamlining command structures.

The move aligns with Al-Sharaa’s efforts to unify Syria’s fragmented security landscape following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024. Analysts suggest the reshuffle formalizes overlapping roles previously managed by Khattab and Salamah during their tenure in Idlib.

The restructuring follows a recent surge in instability, including a July 2 cafe explosion near Damascus’s judicial complex that killed 10 people, and a July 7 attack involving car and bin bombs that left one dead and 36 injured during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. Authorities attributed both incidents to an ISIL-linked cell, which they dismantled using surveillance footage.

Additional security concerns emerged earlier this month when Syrian customs intercepted a shipment of missiles, rockets, and drones in an oil tanker at the Iraqi border, allegedly destined for Hezbollah, a claim the group denies. These developments underscore ongoing challenges in securing Syria’s borders and preventing militant activities.

The reshuffle coincides with renewed diplomatic engagement, as Macron became the first Western leader to visit Damascus since Al-Sharaa’s rise, restoring full diplomatic ties. Days later, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Al-Sharaa at a NATO summit in Turkey, where Washington announced plans to delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism.

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