# Ministry of Defense (Syria)

The Ministry of Defense (Arabic: وزارة الدفاع) is a government ministry office of Syria, responsible for defense affairs. Murhaf Abu Qasra, Minister of Defense holds the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Armed Forces.
Following the fall of the al-Assad regime in December 2024, transitional prime minister Mohammed al-Bashir has said the defense ministry would be restructured using former rebel factions and officers who defected from Bashar al-Assad’s army.

## Incorporation of rebel groups

At the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, which was held in late January 2025, the Syrian transitional government announced the dissolution of all security agencies of the Ba'athist regime and all militias established by it. In addition, the following Syrian opposition groups are expected to be dissolved and merged into the ministry: Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar al-Sham, Jaysh al-Izza, Jaysh al-Nasr, Ansar al-Tawhid, Sham Legion, Al-Firqah Al-Saliheyah (faction in Al-Salihiyya), Jaysh al-Ahrar, Suqour al-Sham Brigades, Jama'at Ansar al-Islam, Turkistan Islamic Party in Syria, Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, Levant Front and the Syrian National Army.
The Ministry of Defense later reported that over 70 armed factions across six regions in total agreed to participate in the new administration.
However, one leader from the Syrian National Army indicated that the dissolution of different groups will be done "gradually", while a rebel leader from Daraa Governorate confirmed that the rebel groups had been ordered to disband, but that the "implementation" needs more time until more clarity is provided on how the ministry will ultimately be structured.
As of February 2025, the ministry has formed a committee focused on restructuring and managing assets, as well as a "sub-committee" whose purpose is to determine a new "internal structure" for the armed forces.

## Defense ministers
### Arab Kingdom of Syria (1918–1920)

| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| 1 | | Abdul Hamid Pasha Al-Qaltaqi [ar] (1875–1925) | 9 March 1920 | 3 May 1920 | 55 days | | Independent | al-Rikabi II [ar] | |
| 2 | | Yusuf al-Azma (1883–1920) | 3 May 1920 | 24 July 1920 † | 82 days | | Al-Fatat | al-Atassi I [ar] | |
| 3 | | Jamil al-Ulshi (1883–1951) | 25 July 1920 | 30 November 1920 | 128 days | | Independent | al-Droubi [ar] al-Ulshi I [ar] | |

### French Mandate for Syria (1920–1946)

| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| 1 | | Shukri al-Quwatli (1891–1967) | 21 December 1936 | 22 March 1938 | 1 year, 91 days | | National Bloc | Bey I [ar] | |
| 2 | | Jamil Mardam Bey (1895–1960) | 22 March 1938 | 23 February 1939 | 338 days | | National Bloc | Bey I [ar] | |
| 3 | | Mazhar Raslan (1886–1948) | 23 February 1939 | 5 April 1939 | 41 days | | National Bloc | al-Haffar | |
| 4 | | Nasuhi al-Bukhari (1881–1961) | 5 April 1939 | 4 July 1939 | 90 days | | Independent | al-Bukhari [ar] | |
| 5 | | Abd al-Ghaffar al-Atrash [ar] (1879–1942) | 20 September 1941 | 15 March 1942 † | 176 days | | Independent | al-Hakim I [ar] | |
| 6 | | Hasan al-Atrash [ar] (1905–1977) | 18 April 1942 | 25 March 1943 | 341 days | | Independent | al-Barazi [ar] al-Ulshi II [ar] | |
| 7 | | Ata Bey al-Ayyubi (1874–1950) | 25 March 1943 | 19 August 1943 | 147 days | | Independent | al-Ayyubi [ar] | |
| (4) | | Nasuhi al-Bukhari (1881–1961) | 19 August 1943 | 14 October 1944 | 1 year, 56 days | | Independent | al-Jabiri [ar] | |
| (2) | | Jamil Mardam Bey (1895–1960) | 14 October 1944 | 26 August 1945 | 316 days | | National Bloc | al-Khoury I [ar]–II [ar] | |
| 8 | | Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965) | 26 August 1945 | 30 September 1945 | 35 days | | Independent | al-Khoury III [ar] | |
| 9 | | Saadallah al-Jabiri (1892–1947) | 30 September 1945 | 27 April 1946 | 209 days | | National Bloc | al-Jabiri II [ar] | |

### First Syrian Republic and Second Syrian Republic (1946–1958)

| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| 1 | | Nabih al-Azma (1886–1964) | 27 April 1946 | 17 June 1946 | 51 days | | National Bloc | al-Jabiri III [ar] | |
| 2 | | Ahmad al-Sharabati (1905–1975) | 17 June 1946 | 23 May 1948 | 1 year, 341 days | | Independent | al-Jabiri III [ar] Bey II [ar]–III [ar] | |
| 3 | | Jamil Mardam Bey (1895–1960) | 23 August 1948 | 12 December 1948 | 111 days | | National Party | Bey III [ar]–IV [ar] | |
| 4 | | Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965) | 12 December 1948 | 17 April 1949 | 126 days | | Independent | al-Azm II [ar] | |
| 5 | | Husni al-Za'im (1897–1949) | 17 April 1949 | 1 July 1949 | 75 days | | Independent | al-Za'im [ar] | |
| 6 | | Abdullah Atfeh (1897–1976) | 1 July 1949 | 24 December 1949 | 176 days | | Independent | al-Barazi [ar] al-Atassi II [ar] | |
| 7 | | Fawzi Selu (1905–1972) | 24 December 1949 | 28 December 1949 | 4 days | | Independent | al-Qudsi I [ar] | |
| 8 | | Akram al-Hawrani (1911–1966) | 28 December 1949 | 4 June 1950 | 158 days | | Arab Party Movement | al-Azm III [ar] | |
| (7) | | Fawzi Selu (1905–1972) | 4 June 1950 | 13 November 1951 | 1 year, 162 days | | Independent | al-Qudsi II [ar]–III [ar] al-Azm IV [ar] al-Hakim II [ar] | |
| 9 | | Zaki al-Khatib (1887–1961) | 13 November 1951 | 28 November 1951 | 15 days | | People's Party | al-Hakim II [ar] | |
| 10 | | Maarouf al-Dawalibi (1909–2004) | 28 November 1951 | 29 November 1951 | 1 day | | People's Party | al-Dawalibi I [ar] | |
| (7) | | Fawzi Selu (1905–1972) | 2 December 1951 | 19 July 1953 | 1 year, 229 days | | Military | Selu [ar] | |
| 11 | | Raf'at Khankan (1903–1970) | 19 July 1953 | 1 March 1954 | 225 days | | Military | Shishakli [ar] | |
| (10) | | Maarouf al-Dawalibi (1909–2004) | 1 March 1954 | 19 June 1954 | 110 days | | People's Party | al-Asali I [ar] | |
| 12 | | Said al-Ghazzi (1893–1967) | 19 June 1954 | 3 November 1954 | 137 days | | Independent | al-Ghazzi I [ar] | |
| 13 | | Rashad Barmada (1893–1967) | 3 November 1954 | 13 February 1955 | 102 days | | People's Party | al-Khoury IV [ar] | |
| (4) | | Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965) | 13 February 1955 | 13 September 1955 | 212 days | | Independent | al-Asali II [ar] | |
| (13) | | Rashad Barmada (1893–1967) | 13 September 1955 | 14 June 1956 | 275 days | | People's Party | al-Ghazzi II [ar] | |
| 14 | | Abd al-Hasib Raslan (1901–1959) | 14 June 1956 | 31 December 1956 | 200 days | | Independent | al-Asali III [ar] | |
| (4) | | Khalid al-Azm (1903–1965) | 31 December 1956 | 22 February 1958 | 1 year, 53 days | | Independent | al-Asali IV [ar] | |

### United Arab Republic (1958–1961)

| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Government | Ref. |
| 1 | | Abdel Hakim Amer (1916–1967) | 22 February 1958 | 28 September 1961 | 3 years, 218 days | | National Union | Nasser IV [ar]–V [ar]–VI [ar] | |

### Second Syrian Republic and Ba'athist Syrian Arab Republic (1961–2024)

| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Government |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Government |
| 1 | | Maamun al-Kuzbari (1914–1998) | 28 September 1961 | 20 November 1961 | 53 days | | Arab Liberation Movement | al-Kuzbari |
| 2 | | Izzat al-Nuss (1912–1976) | 20 November 1961 | 22 December 1961 | 32 days | | Military | al-Nuss |
| 3 | | Rashad Barmada (1913–1988) | 22 December 1961 | 16 April 1962 | 115 days | | People's | al-Dawalibi |
| 4 | | General Abdul Karim Zahreddine [ar] (1917–2009) | 16 April 1962 | 8 March 1963 | 326 days | | Independent | al-Azma al-Azm |
| 5 | | Field Marshal Muhammad al-Sufi (1927–2018) | 8 March 1963 | 11 May 1963 | 63 days | | Independent | al-Bitar I |
| 6 | | Major General Ziad al-Hariri (born 1930) | 11 May 1963 | 4 August 1963 | 85 days | | Independent | al-Bitar I–II |
| 7 | | Major General Abdullah Ziad (1915–1998) | 4 August 1963 | 14 May 1964 | 284 days | | Independent | al-Bitar III al-Hafiz I |
| 8 | | Major General Mamdouh Jaber [ar] (born 1928) | 14 May 1964 | 23 September 1965 | 1 year, 132 days | | Ba'ath Party | al-Bitar IV al-Hafiz II |
| 9 | | Major General Hamad Ubayd [ar] (born 1928) | 23 September 1965 | 27 December 1965 | 95 days | | Ba'ath Party | Zuayyin I |
| 10 | | Major General Muhammad Umran (1922–1972) | 1 January 1966 | 23 February 1966 | 53 days | | Ba'ath Party | al-Bitar V |
| 11 | | Major General Hafez al-Assad (1930–2000) | 23 February 1966 | 17 March 1971 | 5 years, 22 days | | Ba'ath Party | Zuayyin II al-Atassi al-Assad |
| 12 | | Colonel General Mustafa Tlass (1932–2017) | 22 March 1972 | 12 May 2004 | 32 years, 51 days | | Ba'ath Party | Khleifawi I [...] al-Otari |
| 13 | | Lieutenant General Hasan Turkmani (1935–2012) | 12 May 2004 | 3 June 2009 | 5 years, 22 days | | Ba'ath Party | al-Otari |
| 14 | | Colonel General Ali Habib Mahmud (1939–2020) | 3 June 2009 | 8 August 2011 | 2 years, 66 days | | Ba'ath Party | al-Otari Safar |
| 15 | | Colonel General Dawoud Rajiha (1947–2012) | 8 August 2011 | 18 July 2012 † | 345 days | | Ba'ath Party | Safar Hijab |
| 16 | | Colonel General Fahd Jassem al-Freij (born 1950) | 18 July 2012 | 1 January 2018 | 5 years, 167 days | | Ba'ath Party | Hijab al-Halqi I–II Khamis |
| 17 | | Lieutenant General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub (born 1952) | 1 January 2018 | 28 April 2022 | 4 years, 117 days | | Ba'ath Party | Khamis Arnous I–II |
| 18 | | Lieutenant General Ali Mahmoud Abbas (born 1964) | 28 April 2022 | 8 December 2024 | 2 years, 224 days | | Ba'ath Party | Arnous II |

### Syrian transitional government (2024–present)

| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Political party | Government |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Political party | Political party | Government |
| 1 | | Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra (born 1984) | 21 December 2024 | Incumbent | 88 days | | HTS | Bashir |
| 1 | | Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra (born 1984) | 21 December 2024 | Incumbent | 88 days | | Independent | Bashir |

## Military intelligence agencies
### Ba'athist Syria

* Military Intelligence Directorate
* Air Force Intelligence Directorate

### Current

* General Intelligence Service