Syria Formulates New Comprehensive Security Roadmap

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)
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Syria Formulates New Comprehensive Security Roadmap

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad chaired a meeting for commanders of the security apparatus in the army and the armed forces to formulate a comprehensive security roadmap.
The chief of the National Security Office and the Security Affairs Advisor in the Presidency General Secretariat attended the meeting.
The presidency said in a statement that the meeting focused on the expected impact of restructuring the security sector and fortifying coordination between different security agencies.
It also addressed the development of counter-terrorism tools.
The presidency added that the meeting formulated a comprehensive security roadmap that aligns with strategic visions to address international, regional, and domestic challenges and risks, ensuring a profound impact on the nation's security, citizens, and the armed forces.
Assad emphasized the proactive and preventative roles that security agencies must play in the fight against terrorist organizations.
The meeting also stressed the need to maintain continuous surveillance and tracking of cells attempting to undermine the nation's security and safety.
The meeting comes a few days after unofficial Syrian media reported sudden security changes targeting sensitive security institutions in Syria.
According to unofficial information, Major General Ali Mamlouk was appointed a presidential advisor for security affairs, and Major General Kifah al-Moulhim was appointed head of the National Security Office.
Major General Kamal Hassan was appointed head of the Military Intelligence Division, succeeding Moulhim.
Conflicting reports addressed the transfer of Mamlouk, whether it was a decision to remove or promote him.
Russian "Sputnik" agency reported, quoting a Syrian security source, that the appointment of Moulhim as head of the National Security Office to succeed Mamlouk came after the latter's illness and admission to the hospital.
According to the information, these changes come as part of Damascus's efforts to restructure its security and political forces.
Unofficial sources also indicated that the security services became warring powers during the war.
However, this clashed with Damascus's rapprochement with Arab countries, as it hindered the activation of the Arab initiative and the step-for-step approach to reconstructing the regime with the Arab system.



Suspected RSF Strike Hits a Prison, Killing at Least 19 in Sudan, Officials Say

 A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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Suspected RSF Strike Hits a Prison, Killing at Least 19 in Sudan, Officials Say

 A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025. (Reuters)
A view shows a large plume of smoke and fire rising from fuel depot in Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025. (Reuters)

A suspected drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces hit a prison in Sudan's southern region of Kordofan on Saturday and killed at least 19 prisoners, authorities said, the latest deadly attack in the country’s more than two-year civil war.

The attack on the main prison in Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan, also wounded 45 other prisoners, according to a statement from the province’s police forces.

The statement accused the Rapid Support Forces of launching the attack, which came as the RSF escalated its drone strikes on the military-held areas across the country.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF, which has been at war with the Sudanese military for more than two years.

Earlier this month, the RSF launched multi-day drone attack on Port Sudan, the Red Sea city serving as an interim seat for the Sudanese government. The strikes hit the city’s airports, maritime port and other facilities including fuel storages.

The RSF escalation came after the military struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, where the RSF receives foreign military assistance, including drones. Local media say dozens of RSF officers were killed in last week's strike.

Sudan plunged into chaos on April 15, 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the country. Obeid is 363 kilometers (225 miles) south of Khartoum.

Since then, at least 24,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far higher. The war has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who crossed into neighboring countries. The conflict also has pushed parts of the country into famine.

The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western Darfur region, according to the UN and international rights groups.