Director of the General Intelligence Service (Syria)

The Director of the General Intelligence Service (Arabic: مدير جهاز المخابرات العامة) is the head of the General Intelligence Service (GIS), Syria's primary civilian intelligence agency responsible for national security intelligence, both domestically and internationally. The position was established on 26 December 2024 following the dissolution of the Ba'athist-era General Intelligence Directorate after the fall of the Assad regime.^[1] The director is appointed by the President of Syria, oversees operations under the Ministry of Interior and is a member of the National Security Council.

The role encompasses directing intelligence gathering, counterintelligence, and security operations, with a mandate to reform previous repressive practices and focus on national stability during Syria's transitional period.^[2]

The origins of Syrian civilian intelligence trace back to the French Mandate period, where the Sûreté Générale served as the primary security apparatus. Post-independence in 1946, it evolved through various iterations, including the Department of General Security (1945–1958) and the Internal Security Forces Command (1961–1971).

Under the Ba'athist-led regime, there were four main intelligence agencies in Syria unified under the National Security Bureau; these were the General Intelligence Directorate, Political Security Directorate, Military Intelligence Directorate and Air Force Intelligence Directorate, which were notorious for domestic repression and human rights abuses under the Ba'athist regime.

After the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, the General Intelligence Service was established, with inaugural director Anas Khattab pledging institutional reforms.^[3][4]

• Anas Khattab (26 December 2024 — 3 May 2025)
• Hussein al-Salama (3 May 2025 — present)