Ali Noureddine al-Naasan
{{Short description|Syrian military officer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Major General
| name = Ali Noureddine al-Naasan
| nickname = Abu Hamza
| native_name = {{Script/Arabic|علي نور الدين النعسان}}
| native_name_lang = ar
| image =
| caption =
| office = Chief of the General Staff
| president = Ahmed al-Sharaa{{efn|As de facto leader until 29 January 2025.}}
| primeminister = Mohammed al-Bashir (2024–2025)
| term_start = 21 December 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1970}}
| birth_place = Taybat al-Imam, Hama, Syria
| party = Independent
| otherparty = Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (until 2025)
| allegiance =
Current:
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Syria (since 2024)
Former:
- {{flagicon image|Flag_of_Syria_(1980–2024).svg}} Ba'athist Syria (until 2011)
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Syrian opposition (2011–2024)
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Free Syrian Army (from 2011)
- {{flagicon image|Flag of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.svg}} Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (until 2025)
| branch = {{army|Syria}}
| serviceyears =
| profession = Military Officer
| rank = 30px Major general
| commands = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian revolution.svg}} Syrian Armed Forces
| battles = {{tree list}}
{{Tree list end}}
| awards =
}}
Major General Ali Noureddine al-Naasan ({{langx|ar|علي نور الدين النعسان}}) is a Syrian military officer who currently serves as the Chief of the General Staff of the Army and Armed Forces in the Syrian transitional government and as a military commander in Hay'at Tahir al-Sham (HTS) and the Military Operations Command. Before the Syrian Civil War, al-Naasan served as a military officer in the Ba'athist Syrian Arab Army, later defecting in early 2011 to the Syrian opposition.
Biography
= Early life and career =
He was born in the town of Taybat al-Imam, Hama Governorate during the mid-1970s, he was nicknamed "Abu Hamza".{{Cite web |title=بينهم وزير الدفاع.. القيادة العامة تعلن عن ترقيات جديدة في الجيش السوري |url=https://shaam.org/news/syria-news/%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A |access-date=29 December 2024 |website=شبكة شام |language=ar}}{{Cite web |date=11 January 2025 |title=علي نور الدين النعسان رئيس هيئة الأركان السورية الجديدة |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/encyclopedia/2025/1/9/%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A-%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B9%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A6%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9 |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=الجزيرة نت Al Jazeera Arabic |language=ar}} Al-Naasan studied locally at Taybat al-Imam before graduating as an officer with distinction from a military academy, he assumed leadership positions in infantry and armored units of the Syrian Arab Army. After the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011 he defected to the Syrian Opposition, participating in fighting in North Syria. Al-Naasan became a military commander in Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and was a commander in the HTS-led Military Operations Command during the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.
= Chief of the General Staff of Syria =
After the Fall of the Assad regime, al-Naasan was appointed as Chief of the General Staff (COGS) and tasked with rebuilding the Syrian Army. Al Jazeera in January 2025 reported that al-Naasan had "modernised" armament systems, introduced modern training and operational technology, and instituted an 'advanced training program' (برامج تدريب متقدمة) for officers and soldiers in crisis management and modern warfare.
On 29 December 2024, Ahmed al-Sharaa announced the promotion of COGS Ali Noureddine al-Naasan to the rank of Major-General, together with the elevation of 48 other individuals including Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, who was also promoted to the rank of Major General alongside al-Naasan.{{Cite web |date=29 December 2024 |title=الشرع يصدر أول قائمة ترفيعات في الجيش.. ضمت أسماء غير سورية |url=https://arabi21.com/story/1650927/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B9-%D9%8A%D8%B5%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%B6%D9%85%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9 |access-date=29 December 2024 |website=عربي21 |language=ar}}
On 9 January 2025, al-Naasan's appointment as Chief of the General Staff was confirmed, according to Al Jazeera.{{Cite web |title=الإدارة السورية الجديدة تعين اللواء علي النعسان رئيسا للأركان |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2025/1/9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A1 |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=الجزيرة نت |language=ar}}
See also
Notes
{{Notelist}}