Bashar al-Assad has named Major General Akram Ali Mohammed as the new governor of Suweida, amidst ongoing demonstrations in the governorate.
Originally from Hadida in the western countryside of Homs, the new governor is renowned as one of the Assad regime’s prominent figures.
Akram Mohammed has held various positions within the General Intelligence Directorate, also known as the Assad regime’s State Security Directorate.
In 2009, he assumed the role of head of the State Security branch in Aleppo with the rank of brigadier general. Following the onset of the Syrian revolution in 2011, he played a role in quelling protests, with reports alleging his involvement in arrests and the use of deadly force against demonstrators in Aleppo.
Collaborating with Major General Adib Salameh, the head of the Air Force Intelligence branch in the northern region, Mohammed formed a notorious duo associated with violence and criminal activities, alongside officers from various security branches.
After the fall of eastern Aleppo neighbourhoods to Free Syrian Army factions in 2013, Mohammed was reassigned to Damascus, where he assumed leadership of Branch 255 of the General Intelligence Directorate, succeeding Brigadier General Ghassan Khalil. This branch focuses on general information, security studies, monitoring media and Internet activity, and overseeing the Syrian Electronic Army.
In 2016, Mohammed was appointed head of the State Security Branch in Tartous. By early 2019, he had been promoted to the rank of major general and appointed as the first assistant to the director of the General Intelligence Directorate.
Following his retirement, Mohammed’s appointment as governor of Suweida was made through a presidential decree on Sunday.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
