Ali Habib Mahmud

Ali Habib Mahmud (‎; 1 January 1939 – 20 March 2020) was a Syrian military officer who served as Syria's minister of defense from June 2009 to August 2011. As one of Syria's most celebrated generals, he was part of President Bashar al-Assad's inner circle.

Early life and education Mahmud was born into an Alawite family on 1 January 1939 in Tartus He commanded 7th mechanized infantry in 1985. In 1986, Mahmud became a general. He also participated in the Gulf War as part of the international coalition that liberated Kuwait from Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 1991. He replaced Hasan Turkmani, who was appointed defense minister. Mahmud's term ended on 8 August 2011, and he was replaced by Dawoud Rajha in the post.

On 4 September 2013, the opposition wrongly claimed that Mahmud had defected and escaped to Turkey. In fact, he remained in Syria.