Saudi and Syrian intelligence met after a decade

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief travelled to Damascus to meet his Syrian counterpart in the first known meeting of its kind since the outbreak of the Syrian war a decade ago, The Guardian reported on May 3.

Ties between Syria and Saudi Arabia were cut during the Syrian war in 2011.

However, Saudi officials said the normalization of relations could begin shortly after the three-day Eid al-Fitr next week that will mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the British newspaper added.   

The meeting in the Syrian capital is being seen as a precursor to an imminent breakthrough between two regional foes, who have been at odds throughout much of the conflict, according to The Guardian.

“It has been planned for a while, but nothing has moved,” Saudi official who asked not to be identified, told The Guardian.  

“Events have shifted regionally and that provided the opening,” he added.

The Saudi delegation was led by Gen Khalid Humaidan, the head of the country’s General Intelligence Directorate, who was received by Syria’s Gen Ali Mamlouk, the special security adviser to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and head of the National Security Bureau of the Ba’ath Party.