Policy

Who is General Marhaf Abu Kasra, the New Syrian Defense Minister?


The new Syrian administration confirmed in a statement on Tuesday the appointment of Marhaf Abu Kasra as the Defense Minister in the transitional government.

Reuters had reported the news of Abu Kasra’s appointment through an official source on December 21.

Key Information about Marhaf Abu Kasra

Abu Kasra, also known as Abu Hassan al-Hamawi or Abu Hassan 600, was the military wing commander of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led armed factions earlier this month toward Damascus and toppled the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Aged 41 and born in Halfaya, a town in rural Hama, Abu Kasra holds a degree in agricultural engineering. He worked as a military capabilities engineer in areas under the movement’s control in the north and led most of its military operations.

Earlier this month, when asked whether the organization’s military wing would be dissolved, al-Hamawi stated: “Certainly, we will, God willing, be among the first to take this initiative and will continue to lead any effort that serves the public interest of the country.”
He added: “Building a military institution is an inevitable next step. All military units, including the organization’s military wing, must fall under this institution.”

For five years, al-Hamawi served as the leader of the organization’s military wing, which controlled several regions in northern Syria in recent years.

Previous Internal Disputes

In June of this year, Syrian local media reported al-Hamawi’s resignation as head of the military wing, hinting at tensions between the organization’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Joulani), and al-Hamawi.

At the time, Telegram accounts affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham confirmed that the organization’s leadership had accepted Abu Hassan 600’s resignation from his position while noting that he remained a member of the organization, without specifying his new role.

Messages shared on Telegram by organization-linked accounts thanked al-Hamawi for his contributions to military and academic development during his leadership of the military wing and wished him success in his future assignments.

Earlier this year, the organization conducted arrests amid suspicions of “collaboration” by some of its leaders with foreign entities. This issue was resolved later in the year, prior to the launch of the Deterrence Operation, which culminated in the seizure of Damascus.

A few days ago, the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces announced the first wave of promotions within the army, including several faction leaders, among them Abu Kasra, who was promoted to the rank of general.

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