Lieutenant General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub (Arabic: علي عبد الله أيوب, romanized: ʿAlī ʿAbd Allāh Ayyūb; born 28 April 1952 in Latakia)[1] is a Syrian senior military officer who served as the former Deputy Prime Minister of Syria. He is the former Minister of Defense and was personally appointed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on 1 January 2018.[2] Ayyoub has a long experience in commanding manoeuvre formations and is also recognized as a specialist in land warfare.
Ali Abdullah Ayyoub | |
|---|---|
علي عبد الله أيوب | |
 Ayyoub in 2020 | |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Syria | |
| In office 30 August 2020 – 28 April 2022 | |
| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Prime Minister | Hussein Arnous |
| Preceded by | Walid Muallem |
| 17th Minister of Defense | |
| In office 1 January 2018 – 28 April 2022 | |
| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Prime Minister | Imad Khamis Hussein Arnous |
| Preceded by | Fahd Jassem al-Freij |
| Succeeded by | Ali Mahmoud Abbas |
| Chief of the General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces | |
| In office 18 July 2012 – 1 January 2018 | |
| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Defense Minister | Fahd Jassem al-Freij |
| Preceded by | Fahd Jassem al-Freij |
| Succeeded by | Salim Harba |
| Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces | |
| In office Unknown – 18 July 2012 | |
| Defense Minister | Dawoud Rajiha |
| Chief of Staff | Fahd Jassem al-Freij |
| Succeeded by | Bassam Najm el-Din Antakiali |
| Member of the Central Committee of the Ba'ath Party | |
| Assumed office 4 May 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 April 1952 Latakia, Second Syrian Republic |
| Political party | Ba'ath Party |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Syria |
| Branch/service |  Syrian Arab Army |
| Years of service | 1972–2022 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant general |
| Unit | 14th Engineering Battalion |
| Commands | Chief of Staff Deputy Chief of Staff 5th Armoured Division 112th Mechanized Brigade |
| Battles/wars | |
Education edit
- Military Education[3]
- Bachelor in Military Sciences, Armoured Branch, Military Academy, Homs (1971–1973)
- Appointed with the rank of Lieutenant under probation (1973)
- Company Commander Course
- Battalion Commander Course
- Command and Staff Course
- Higher Staff Course (War Course)
Functions and main responsibilities edit
- Former commander of different Armoured Brigades of Syrian Arab Army and Syrian Republican Guard
- Former commander of the 4th Armoured Division
- Former commander of the First Army Corps (regrouping the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 7th Divisions)
- Former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Arab Syrian Armed Forces between until 18 July 2012
- Former Chief of Staff of the Arab Syrian Armed Forces between 18 July 2012 and 1 January 2018
- Former Minister of Defense between 1 January 2018 and 28 April 2022
- Current member of the Central Committee of the Ba'ath Party (4 May 2024–present)[4]
War crime charges edit
In October 2023, French prosecutors at the Judicial Court of Paris charged Ali Ayyoub and his predecessor Fahd Al-Freij for their culpability in a barrel bomb in southwestern Syrian city of Daraa that killed French-Syrian national Salah Abou Nabout at his home in 2017.[5]
References edit
- ^ "العماد علي عبد الله أيوب". mod.gov.sy (in Arabic). 16 November 2017. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Syria's Assad names new defense and other ministers: state TV". Reuters. 1 January 2018. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "العماد علي عبد الله أيوب". mod.gov.sy (in Arabic). 12 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
- ^ "«البعث» ينتخب أعضاء لجنته المركزية الجديدة". Al Watan Newspaper. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ Foroudi, Layli; Gebeily, Maya; Berg, Stephanie van den (20 October 2023). "French prosecutors seek arrest of two Syrian ex-ministers over 2017 bomb". Reuters. Retrieved 15 November 2023.