Who is Mohammed Al Bashir, the man who will oversee Syria's government transition?

Engineer and politician served for a year as head of HTS-linked Syrian Salvation Government

Mohammed Al Bashir will supervise the creation of a transition government for Syria. AFP

Syrian militant group Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, fresh from leading the ousting of long-time dictator Bashar Al Assad from office, has named Mohammed Al Bashir as the head of a transitional authority to govern the country.

The move came after a meeting between Mr Al Bashir, HTS leader Ahmad Al Shara and current Prime Minister Mohammad Al Jalali.

Mr Al Bashir has served for a year as head of the HTS-linked Syrian Salvation Government (SSG), which has been running most of the governorate of Idlib in Syria's north-west since 2017, according to a profile released by the SSG. Before this, he was Minister of Development and Humanitarian Affairs for the SSG under his predecessor Ali Keda.

Born in Idlib's Jabal Zawiya in 1983, Mr Al Bashir is a qualified engineer who has a degree from the University of Aleppo in electrical and electronic engineering, and another from the University of Idlib in Sharia Law, the profile said. He has taken a course in advanced English language, and holds certificates in project management and administrative planning.

A man takes a selfie with a policeman from the Salvation Government in Damascus. AFP

Before he embarked on his political career, he worked at a gas plant owned by the Syrian Gas Company in 2011, as head of the precision instruments department.

In recent months he has given press briefings on the SSG's movements, particularly during the surprise 12-day advance which led to HTS-led forces toppling Mr Al Assad.

Pledges after his election as Prime Minister of the SSG by the local Shura Council in January this year may offer an insight into his thinking on governance. His focus in Idlib was on modernising government processes using technology, encouraging investment, strengthening the economy and focusing on the humanitarian needs of thousands of displaced people living in the area, Syrian news outlet Levant24 reported in January.

He has not yet commented on his vision and strategy for a transitional government, nor what such a transition may look like.