Eurasia Press & News
The Syrian Ministry of Interior is rearranging its internal security home, through a new visual identity and a structure for the administrative system, on the rubble of the security institutions that were dissolved after the fall of the former Syrian regime.
During this process, Enab Baladi observed a disparity in security performance, between the stability of cities after most of which witnessed a wave of chaos that followed the sudden fall of the regime and the imbalance still experienced by the Syrian countryside, amid unfinished administrative procedures, especially in the areas that are in the process of integration.
On the other hand, the ministry still suffers from a weakness in its legal and judicial procedures, which raises fears of the return of the “arbitrary” procedures that were under the previous regime, and what it was practicing of “security state terrorism.”
In this file, Enab Baladi discusses the security situation in Syria, especially in recent months, following the announcements of the Ministry of Interior on the restructuring, and the visual identity that it has publicized in repeated reviews, and monitors its legal procedures, with experts, researchers and specialists.
The security situation in Syria. Settling in the city and a malfunction in the countryside
The security situation in the Syrian governorates varies from region to region, where some areas are experiencing a significant improvement in stability, while other areas continue to face sporadic security challenges, which are reflected in the daily lives and movement of the population.
In Quneitra, Enab Baladi’s correspondent reported that the Israeli presence in most of the western countryside imposes significant restrictions on the movement of people, creating a state of fear and reluctance to move for fear of being arrested.
Other regions suffer from security problems, most notably thefts, especially the theft of water pump cables and telephone networks.
In Raqqa, the reporter pointed to a noticeable improvement in the security reality, compared to what it was about two months ago, pointing out that the Internal Security Forces have recently carried out operations targeting theft gangs.
However, the region continues to face challenges related to the lack of security and weak deployment in some rural areas.
In Daraa, Enab Baladi’s correspondent confirmed that the security situation witnessed a significant positive change after the “liberation” phase, as the assassinations declined significantly and became almost non-existent.
Security incidents are mostly limited to personal disagreements, with residents increasingly feeling safe and mobile at night in many areas.
Through field monitoring conducted by Enab Baladi, residents of Damascus and its countryside spoke of a general state of security stability and a clear improvement compared to previous years, both within the capital and in the surrounding rural areas.
They stressed that the movement between the city and the countryside has become easier and safer, and that dealing in security barriers has become normal and is not accompanied by restrictions or obstacles, which contributed to enhancing the sense of daily stability.
Residents pointed out that security incidents, sometimes circulated through social media, are often individual and limited in scope, and do not reflect the general reality on the ground, stressing that the situation in most neighborhoods is proceeding normally without much tension.
They also pointed out that the waves of thefts that emerged in previous periods, especially at the beginning of the post-liberation phase, witnessed a significant decline, after taking local measures and coordination between the competent authorities to control markets and promote stability, and pointed out that the security response to any reports or abuses has become faster and more effective, which contributed to enhancing the sense of security among the people and the stability of daily life in general.
In Aleppo, Enab Baladi correspondents have observed a significant improvement in the security reality over the past months, especially with the intensification of the presence of security personnel, and the development of new security units, such as the city’s surveillance and “Module A1”.
On the other hand, the security situation in the countryside, especially the northern countryside, is still witnessing theft and looting, especially in the rural secondary roads, with a remarkable absence of security elements.
The nature of threats poses a different security reality
According to Enab Baladi’s population and correspondents, the security landscape varies between cities and rural areas, depending on multiple factors including the nature of the threats, infrastructure, and the social and geographical factors affecting each region.
For his part, security and military expert Nawar Shaaban said in an interview with Enab Baladi that the security reality in cities is different from its counterpart in rural areas in terms of the nature of threats and the level of deployment of security institutions, pointing out that cities usually have a greater presence of state institutions and security services, which gives them a faster ability to respond to security incidents.
He added that cities, however, remain vulnerable to a range of risks, including organised crime, assassinations, “terrorist” attacks and local unrest.
On the other hand, Shaaban pointed out that rural areas face greater security challenges as a result of the expansion of their areas, the distance of population centers from security centers, the weakness of road and communication infrastructure, the proliferation of weapons, the presence of smuggling routes and armed cells, in addition to mines and remnants of war.
The military expert pointed out that this base is not absolute, pointing out that the security situation in some provinces makes the difference between the city and the countryside limited.
He cited the province of Deir ez-Zor, in which the city and the countryside suffer, both from the weakness of the security system, stressing that each region has its own specificities and different circumstances.
Shaaban explained that the difference between the security reality in cities and rural areas is not only related to security management, but also to the nature of threats.
Security challenges in cities are usually criminal offenses, assassinations or possible bombings, forcing a focus on protecting markets, government facilities and public gatherings, managing population density and traffic, and dealing with protests and various conflicts.
While the challenges in rural areas are relatively different, according to the expert, and include monitoring large geographical areas and long roads, combating smuggling, pursuing armed cells that benefit from the nature of the land and the expansion of spaces, as well as dealing with tribal and local conflicts, and protecting remote villages and agricultural land.
Shaaban pointed out that the disparity in the security reality is largely related to logistical factors, including the number of security elements, the availability of vehicles, the deployment of security centers, the strength of communication networks, and the infrastructure supporting security work.
He said that one of the most important factors affecting the security situation is the history of controlling the region and the parties in which it was previously active, and other factors play an important role, including the proximity of the area to the border, its social composition, and the extent of the population’s acceptance of the security forces and bodies deployed in it.
Steps to Enhance Security
Regarding the steps required to enhance the security reality, Shaaban explained that the beginning should be the preparation of detailed security maps at the district and municipal levels, not only at the provincial level, allowing the determination of the nature of threats and risks in each region and the distribution of resources and security forces accordingly.
The security and military expert pointed to the importance of establishing fast and mobile patrol units capable of serving several rural villages and areas at the same time, in addition to linking rural security centers with unified operations and communication rooms that contribute to accelerating the response, in addition to providing vehicles and equipment commensurate with the nature of roads and distances.
He pointed to the possibility of benefiting from modern technologies, including drones used by some countries to monitor remote areas and large geographical areas, because of the support for monitoring operations and improving the speed of response.
Shaaban stressed that building an effective security apparatus depends mainly on the continuous rehabilitation of the elements, pointing out that having combat experience does not necessarily mean having the skills required for security work.
He explained that the elements operating in the cities need specialized training, including crowd management, protection of facilities and public places, methods of criminal investigation, and dealing with modern technologies such as surveillance systems and cameras, in addition to traffic regulation and control skills.
While the nature of security work in rural areas requires various skills, according to Shaaban, including training in the implementation of long-term patrols, securing roads, combating smuggling, dealing with mines and remnants of war, as well as understanding social structures, tribal and local relations and conflict management mechanisms within rural communities.
Security professionalism is measured not only by the ability of a component to use weapons, but also by its ability to prevent incidents, to gather information in accordance with legal frameworks, to protect evidence, to communicate effectively with the population, and to be held accountable for any abuses.
These requirements are of double importance in light of the continued security fragility of the country as a result of complex challenges, both internally and externally.
Nawar Shaaban
Security and Military Researcher
Restructuring and a new visual identity
Progress in performance is met with fears of conflicting powers
The Ministry of Interior has worked to develop a new structure, supported by a visual identity, starting with cars and uniforms, which appeared more clearly with a formal review, on March 17, for most of its units.
In late November 2025, the ministry announced the form of its cars and vehicles, in a move aimed at identifying its units and distinguishing between them, after most of them were affiliated with the General Security, which later developed into internal security.
Here, questions arise about the impact of the new visual and structural identity on security performance, during the past period.
A researcher at the Syrian Center for Security and Defense Studies (MSDAD) told Northern Lawrence that visual identity reinforces two key dimensions of security or military action.
The first dimension is organizational, as visual identity enhances administrative discipline and reflects the new values of the security establishment in Syria.
The second dimension relates to the psychology of belonging, where the visual identity enhances the bond of individual belonging to the institution and its feeling that it is part of every integrated, all of which is reflected in the quality of security performance.
After the visual identity. Focus on “remnants” and criminal security
According to the researcher in security affairs at the “Masdad” North Lawrence Center, the past months have witnessed a remarkable progress for the formations of the Ministry of Interior in two important files, after the launch of the visual identity and the course of the new structure.
The first file relates to the focus of the counter-terrorism forces on the file of what the Syrian government calls “remnants” and what is related to the perpetrators of war crimes from the former regime.
The Ministry of Interior has intensified its efforts to arrest elements associated with the former regime, as its official spokesman, Noureddine Al-Baba, announced during a press conference attended by Enab Baladi, on June 15, that the Anti-Terrorism Department currently has 5989 detainees distributed across various military ranks, including one person with the rank of general, 42 generals, 172 brigadiers, 218 colonels, 112 colonels, 73 majors, 160 captains, 126 first lieutenants, 32 lieutenants, 435 first assistants, 268 assistants, 174 first sergeants, 285 sergeants, 160 corporals, in addition to 1483 elements.
The Pope reviewed the mechanism of the Counter-Terrorism Department, indicating that it is based on three main stages, including:
Intelligence assessment and information analysis.
Coordination and field implementation.
Criminal investigation and judicial support before referring the detainees to the competent judiciary.On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of 235 members of the “Islamic State” during the months of March, April and May, including 198 Syrians and 37 foreigners.
