Pro-government Syrian pages on social media are reporting that President Bashar Assad has replaced some heads of influential security agencies, including Maj. Gen. Jamil Hassan, who has headed the powerful Air Force Intelligence Directorate since 2009.
Several of the social media pages — including Latakia Eagles and Homs Network Live — report that Hassan was replaced by his deputy, Maj. Gen. Ghassan Ismail.
There was no immediate confirmation from the government or state media, which rarely report news related to intelligence agencies.
Syrian regime soldiers stand next to a picture of Syrian President Bashar Assad hanging on a tank at the Nassib border crossing with Jordan in the southern province of Daraa on July 7, 2018. (AFP Photo/Youssef Karwashan)
The pages say the General Intelligence Directorate is now headed by Maj. Gen. Hussam Louqa, while Maj. Gen. Nasser al-Ali is now in charge of the Political Security Directorate.
Bahjat Suleiman, a former intelligence chief and former ambassador to Jordan, also lists the names on his Facebook page and Twitter account.
— AP
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