Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 1, 2018
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 1, 2018
Syria’s Assad replaces defense minister with military chief of staff
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleDAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian President Bashar Assad replaces his defense minister for the first time since 2012, as part of a government reshuffle, the state news agency SANA announces on Monday.
“President Assad issued a decree, the first of 2018, naming General Ali Abdullah Ayoub minister of defense,” the agency says, without providing any explanation for the surprise announcement.
The 65-year-old was until now the chief of general staff of the armed forces. He replaces Fahd Jassem al-Freij.
Freij took over in July 2012 after predecessor Daoud Rajha was killed in the bombing of a command centre in Damascus, together with his deputy Assef Shawkat, who was Assad’s brother-in-law.
— AFP
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