General Security Service (Syria)
Law enforcement agency
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The General Security Service (Arabic: جهاز الأمن العام, romanized: Jihāz al-Amn al-ʿĀmm; abbr.: GSS), also known as the Internal Security Forces (Arabic: قوى الأمن الداخلي, romanized: Quwā al-ʾAmn ad-Dāḵilī; abbr.: ISF)[3] and Internal Security Command (ISC)[4] 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.
2019 (General Security Service)[2]
2024 (current form)
- Levantine Special Forces
- Public Security Police
- Free Syrian Police
| General Security Service جهاز الأمن العام | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 29 May 1945 (as Public Security Police)[1] 2019 (General Security Service)[2] 2024 (current form) |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Employees | 50,000 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Syrian Arab Republic |
| Operations jurisdiction | Syrian Arab Republic |
| Population | 18,437,288 |
| Governing body | Syria |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | Government of Syria |
| Headquarters | Damascus, Syria |
| Agency executives | |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Interior |
History
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][5] 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.[6][7]
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, made preparations to reorganize the General Security Service as Syria's police force, including Sharia as part of the police training.[8][9]
On 29 November 2025, the Syrian Ministry of Interior presented several new police vehicles. The vehicles, all Hyundai models, include:
- Armoured variants assigned to the Diplomatic Security and Officials Protection units;
- Vehicles for the Criminal Investigations Department;
- Patrol cars for the Road Security (traffic police) branch.[10]
On 30 November 2025, the Syrian Arab News Agency published images of several new vehicle designs for the Ministry of Interior's vehicles, including the vehicles of the General Security Service.[11]
Involvement in the 2025 massacres of Alawites
In March 2025, members of the General Security Service took part in the 2025 massacres against Alawite civilians along Syria's coastal regions.[12][13][14]: 44, 49, 50
