Murhaf Abu Qasra

Murhaf Ahmed Abu Qasra, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Hassan al-Hamawi, is a Syrian military officer and former agricultural engineer who is currently serving as Minister of Defense in the Syrian transitional government since 21 December 2024. He is one of Ahmed al-Sharaa's closest allies in the country's post-Assad government.

His appointment comes as part of a broader effort to institutionalise and unify the military forces of the former Syrian opposition.

Early life and education Abu Qasra holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural engineering. Before the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, he worked in his field of study. With the escalation of the conflict, he utilized his engineering expertise to support the armed opposition. As the head of HTS’ military wing, Abu Qasra was responsible for the creation of HTS’ drone unit, the Shaheen Brigades, which were named by Abu Qasra himself. He was also one of the key ringleaders in the 2024 Syrian opposition offensives.

Minister of Defense On 21 December 2024, Abu Qasra was appointed Minister of Defense in the Syrian caretaker government by the transitional leadership, with the announcement made by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the General Commander of the Military Operations Command. The appointment came with significant talks to merge all opposition factions into a single institution under the Ministry of Defense, marking a turning point in efforts to unify military operations in post-Assad Syria.

On 29 March 2025, a transitional government was formed, in which Abu Qasra maintained his position as minister of defense. He oversaw the mass integration of jihadist militias such as the Turkistan Islamic Party into the Syrian Army, while firmly opposing the integration of the Women's Protection Units. Abu Qasra justified his stance by claiming that allowing women to serve in the army was "against Islam" despite the fact that all neighboring Muslim states allow women in their militaries.