Syrian regime appoints Faysal Mikdad as top diplomat

The Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria named Faysal Mikdad as its new foreign minister, according to local media on Sunday.

The Syrian SANA news agency reported that the regime handed over the seat of Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, who died last week, to Mikdad, who was the deputy foreign minister.

Muallem, 79, had been the regime's foreign minister since Feb. 11, 2006.

The agency reported that Bashar al-Jaafari was appointed as the deputy foreign minister.

Also, Syrian ambassador to Vienna Bassam al-Sabbagh was appointed as Syria's permanent representative at the UN in New York, the agency reported.

Syria has been marred by civil war since 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on protesters using disproportionate force.