Kifah Moulhem

Kifah Moulhem
كفاح ملحم
Head of the Security Committee
In office
July 2018 – ca. October 2019
Preceded byWafiq Nasser
Succeeded byQahtan Khalil
Director of the National Security Bureau of
the Regional Command
In office
18 January 2024 – 8 December 2024
General Secretary
Deputy		Bashar al-Assad
Abdel-Fatah Qudsiyeh
Preceded byMohammed Dib Zaitoun
Director of Military Intelligence Directorate
In office
25 March 2019 – 18 January 2024
Preceded byMohamed Mahala
Succeeded byKamal Hassan
Personal details
Born (1961-11-28) 28 November 1961
Junaynet Ruslan, Tartus Governorate, Syria
PartyBa'ath Party
Military service
Allegiance Ba'athist Syria
Branch/service Syrian Arab Army
Years of service
1980–2024
Rank Major General
UnitMechanized Infantry
Military Intelligence
CommandsRepublican Guard (1980–1994)
Military Intelligence Directorate (1994–2024)
National Security Bureau (2024)
Battles/warsSyrian civil war

Kifah Moulhem (Arabic: كفاح ملحم; born 28 November 1961) is the former director of the Syrian National Security Bureau of the Ba'ath Party and a close adviser of Syrian former President Bashar al-Assad prior to the collapse of Ba'athist Syria.[1] He is one of many officials sanctioned by the European Union for their actions against protesters participating in the Syrian civil war.[2][3]

Early life

Moulhem was born in Junaynet Ruslan, Tartus Governorate. He was recruited into the Republican Guard when Bassel al-Assad was leading it.[4] "His first role was as a liaison officer" between Bassel and Prime Minister Mahmoud Al-Zoubi.[2]

In 1994, Moulhem was transferred to the Military Intelligence Directorate as an intelligence officer, until 2008, when he was appointed as head of the Military Investigation Department (Branch 248), where he was in charge of investigating the political opposition.[5]

Syrian Civil War

After the start of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, Kifah Moulhem "participated in the suppression of demonstrations in Damascus and its countryside, commandeering the forces of Branch 248." "Military intelligence directorates in other provinces were known to regularly transfer their detainees to Branch 248 for investigation."[5] At the end of 2012, Moulhem "was transferred to the coastal city of Latakia to serve as head" of the local Military Intelligence Branch.[2]

Moulhem became known for "loyalty and cruelty"; he was "transferred to lead Aleppo’s Military Intelligence Branch, when the city’s security situation deteriorated in 2012".[2] During the Battle of Aleppo, he led interrogations of captured rebels and jihadists, serving as the city's top intelligence chief.

In 2014, Moulhem was "appointed head of the information department in the MID, and in July of the following year he was promoted to the rank of Major- General" and was "appointed as deputy-chief of the MID." Three years later, in July 2018, he was appointed the "head of the security council in the southern region, which includes the provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Suweida."[2] In March 2019, Moulhem was appointed as director of the Military Intelligence Directorate, replacing Mohamed Mahala.[4]

Following the fall of the al-Assad regime in December 2024, Moulhem reportedly fled Syria and escaped to Moscow.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Ibrahim Hamidi (24 January 2024). "Is Assad about to have his very own 'Sadat Moment'?". Al Majalla. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Who's Who: Major-General Kifah al-Moulhem". The Syrian Observer. 8 April 2019. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "Kifah Moulhem sanctions". Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Assad Appoints New Head of Military Intelligence". Al Souria Net. The Syrian Observer. 26 March 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Kifah Moulhem". Global Fight Against Terrorism Funding. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Missing Enforcers of the Assad Regime". The New York Times. 15 October 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
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