Syria assad
A man walks past a banner showing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Douma, outside Damascus, Syria Image Credit: REUTERS

Amman: Syrian President Bashar al Assad issued a decree on Thursday dismissing prime minister Imad Khamis from the post he has occupied since 2016, state media said.

Assad designated engineer Hussein Arnous as his replacement.

State media did not give a reason for the sudden move but the country has been in the throes of a deep economic crisis, with the currency plunging to record lows in recent days, aggravating hardships for ordinary Syrians.