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General Security Service (Syria)

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General Security Service
جهاز الأمن العام
Common nameSyrian Police, General Security Forces, Syrian Internal Security Forces
Agency overview
Formed29 May 1945 (as Public Security Police)[1]
2019 (General Security Service)[2]
2024 (current form)
Preceding agencies
Employees50.000
Jurisdictional structure
National agencySyrian Arab Republic
Operations jurisdictionSyrian Arab Republic
Population18,437,288
Governing bodySyrian transitional government
General nature
Operational structure
Overseen byGovernment of Syria
HeadquartersDamascus, Syria
Agency executives
Parent agencyMinistry of Interior

The General Security Service (Arabic: جهاز الأمن العام, romanized: Jihāz al-Amn al-ʿĀmm, also called the Internal Security Forces[3]) is the national police service and internal security force of Syria. It is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting life and property and investigating crimes. It also performs other routine police functions, including traffic control. It is administered and controlled by the Ministry of Interior.

History

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The General Security Service was the police force of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controlled areas in Northern Syria, replacing the Free Syrian Police before it was transferred to the interior ministry of the Syrian Salvation Government in April 2024.[2][4] Its roots could be traced to 1945 when the Public Security Police was formed. A police academy was opened in September 2023 and produced its first batch of graduates in August 2024.[5][6]

The Ba'athist-led Public Security Police collapsed in 2024 with the fall of the Assad regime and flight of Bashar al-Assad. HTS brought the General Security Service from Idlib to maintain order and security in recently captured areas in the country. In January 2025, the new de facto rulers of Syria, the Syrian caretaker government, madepreparations to reorganize the General Security Service as Syria's police force, including Sharia as part of the police training.[7][8]

As the Public Security Police had dissolved the same day as the fall of the Assad regime, the new Syrian government lacked civilian security forces. As of March 2025, heavy recruitment was ongoing.[7]

In March 2025, the General Security Service is suspected of having taken part in a wave of massacres against Alawite civilians along Syria's coastal regions.[9][10][11]: 44, 49, 50 

References

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  1. ^ Lawson, Fred Haley (1996). Why Syria Goes to War: Thirty Years of Confrontation. Ithaca, USA: Cornell University Press. p. 163. ISBN 9781501731860.
  2. ^ a b al-Aswad, Harun (16 January 2019). "Syrian Free Police disband following HTS militant takeover in Idlib". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Syrian Defense Minister Announces Comprehensive Ceasefire with SDF - SANA". 7 October 2025. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Reforms in Idlib: Charting a Path Forward". Levant24. 7 April 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  5. ^ "SSG Ministry of Interior Opens First Police College in Greater Idlib". Levant24. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Police Academy Graduation Marks New Milestone in Northern Syria's Development". Levant24. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b Ismail, Amina; Ashawi, Khalil (23 January 2025). "Syria's new leaders turn to Islamic law in effort to rebuild Assad's police". Reuters. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Syria's rulers spark concern as they bring from Idlib sharia-based police training". The Arab Weekly. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Syria: Security forces accused of executing dozens of Alawites". www.bbc.com. Archived from the original on 8 March 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  10. ^ Maggie Michael (30 June 2025), Syrian forces massacred 1,500 Alawites. The chain of command led to Damascus., Reuters, Wikidata Q136531860, archived from the original on 19 October 2025
  11. ^ United Nations Human Rights Council (11 August 2025), Violations against civilians in the coastal and western- central regions of the Syrian Arab Republic (January–March 2025) (PDF), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Wikidata Q136531873, archived (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2025

See also

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