Syria's Al-Sharaa issues series of security appointments

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, al-Sharaa appointed Anas Khattab director of the National Security Office, in addition to his duties as interior minister.

The appointments included naming Hussein al-Salama deputy director of the National Security Office. Al-Salama previously served as head of Syria’s intelligence service. Brigadier General Mulham al-Shantout was also appointed deputy interior minister for security affairs after previously serving as internal security commander in Hama governorate.

Al-Sharaa also issued a decision appointing Major General Abdul Kader Tahhan head of the General Intelligence Service. Tahhan previously served as Syria’s deputy interior minister.

The appointments are part of efforts to reorganize the country’s security institutions and to define officials’ responsibilities within the agencies managing security affairs, as Syria undergoes a transitional period that requires the restructuring of several state institutions.

Security Incidents in Damascus

The appointments come amid a period marked by security incidents in Syria. A series of incidents in the capital, Damascus, and other areas over recent weeks prompted the relevant authorities to intensify their measures and reorganize working procedures within the security institutions.

On July 2, an explosion struck the al-Mushiriyah Café on al-Nasr Street in central Damascus. The Syrian Ministry of Interior said an explosive device caused the blast.

According to the Syrian Ministry of Health’s press office, five people were killed, and 16 others were injured. Security units immediately began investigations and field procedures following the incident.

The explosion followed initial reports circulated on social media and by local media outlets suggesting that it may have been caused by a lithium battery or a gas cylinder exploding inside the café. The official account later confirmed that an explosive device had caused the blast.

The Ministry of Interior said at the time that Internal Security Forces patrols and ambulance crews went to the site, evacuated the injured, secured the area and established a security cordon around the blast site. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

Damascus also witnessed two explosions near central districts on July 7, coinciding with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the capital. An Enab Baladi correspondent reported that the first explosion occurred near the al-Naanaa bus station in the al-Halbouni district, close to the Ministry of Tourism, while the second occurred near the Four Seasons Hotel.

The Ministry of Interior said its units detected two explosive devices during field operations. The devices detonated while specialized teams were preparing to defuse them, injuring 18 people, including four police officers.

The ministry said an initial examination showed that the two explosive devices had been made using rudimentary methods. One had been placed inside a parked car on the side of the road, while the other had been placed inside a garbage container. The ministry said investigations were continuing to determine the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible.

On July 9, the ministry announced the arrest of a cell accused of carrying out the bombings. The security operation, conducted in cooperation with the General Intelligence Service, included simultaneous raids in several areas of Damascus and its countryside, including al-Qatifah, Sayyida Zainab, Dahiyat Qudsaya and Ish al-Warwar.

The ministry said investigations with the cell’s members were continuing. Brigadier General Ahmed al-Dalati, the internal security commander in Rif Dimashq, said preliminary investigations indicated that the cell was affiliated with the Islamic State group.

In a related development, an attack targeted a security checkpoint at the entrance to Jaramana (Rif Dimashq, southwestern Syria) on July 3, injuring three security personnel, according to official sources.

The Ministry of Interior said checkpoint personnel stopped two people riding a motorcycle to verify their identities. One of them then opened fire and threw hand grenades toward the checkpoint, injuring the officers. The attacker was killed when a grenade he was attempting to use exploded, while the other person accompanying him was arrested.

[Source: Enab Baladi English]