ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian transitional government on Thursday named Anas Khattab as the new head of the country’s intelligence agency “The General Command announces the appointment of Mr. Anas Khattab as head of the general intelligence service of the Syrian Arab Republic,” a statement read from the transitional government, led by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Khattab, also known as Abu Ahmad Hdud from the Jirud subdistrict in Rif Dimashq, has been a senior official of the HTS. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) designated him as a terrorist in 2014 for his association with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS). An Iraqi delegation met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, Syria's de facto leader, during talks in Damascus on border security and regional developments. Khattab also participated in the meeting. HTS spearheaded the rebel offensive launched late last month that toppled Assad and ended over five decades of Baathist rule. They formed the transitional government in Damascus, with Mohammed al-Bashir as its prime minister. The transitional government will remain in power until March 1.
