Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad is reported to have sacked the Minister of Social Affairs Kinda Shammat following the release of a photo of her hugging one of his army commanders, Colonel Suhail Al-Hassan.
The photo was taken when the minister visited a regime army site in the city of Hama on 14 August.
The Syrian Arab News Agency reported that President Assad has issued a decree on Thursday dismissing the Minister of Social Affairs and Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Protection from their posts.
According to the decree, Rima Qadri will replace Shammat as Minister of Social Affairs, while Jamal Shahin will replace Hassan Safiyeh as minister of domestic trade and consumer protection.