Syrian National Coalition elects interim govt head

ISTANBUL (AA) – The National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces announced Jawad Abu Hatab as head of the Syrian interim government.

Hatab was elected by 54 votes out of a total 98 members at the group's general assembly, the coalition said on its Twitter account on Tuesday.

Anas Al-Abdah, the coalition's head, confirmed that the group elected Abu Hatab president of the interim government at an extraordinary session to form a new government in liberated areas.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.