New Syrian Cabinet Formation Amidst Ongoing Conflict

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, former communications minister, to form a new cabinet. This new administration will succeed the outgoing caretaker government that has been in place since parliamentary elections. Al-Jalali, who served as communications minister from 2014-2016, has been under EU sanctions since 2014 due to his role in the regime's violent crackdown on civilians. Syria's civil war has resulted in over 350,000 deaths since it began in 2011.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued a decree appointing Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, the former communications minister, to assemble a new cabinet, according to state media reports on Saturday.

This new cabinet will take over from the current administration that has been operating in a caretaker capacity since the parliamentary elections held in mid-July. Al-Jalali's tenure as communications minister spanned from 2014 to 2016.

Al-Jalali has been under EU sanctions since 2014, attributed to his responsibility for the regime's brutal repression of the civilian population. The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 with an uprising against Assad's rule, has claimed the lives of at least 350,000 people, as per U.N. statistics.

(With inputs from agencies.)