Internal Security Service (ISS; ar, جهاز الأمن الداخلي,

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus ''trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or L ...

: ''Jahaz al Amn al Dakhly'') is the

national security National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military att ...

agency of the

Sultanate of Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

. The agency focuses solely upon domestic security while foreign intelligence operations is specifically handled by the Palace Office, which controls external security and coordinates all intelligence and security policies. The stated overall purpose of ISS is to investigates all matters related to internal security. The ISS also leads on Omani counter terrorism procedures and outreach activities. The ISS can trace its history back to the intelligence and security structures set up using British military intelligence expertise as part of Sultan Said's armed forces in the 1950s. HM Sultan Qaboos developed the capability and the Oman Intelligence Service became the Oman Research Department (ORD); with its main focus being supporting counter insurgency operations in the Dhofar Region in the 1970s. The ORD was re-titled the ISS in 1987. The ISS is known to have offices in

Qurum Qurum (; also written Qurm) is an upscale suburb of Muscat in Oman. Its main attractions are the Qurum Natural Park, the Qurum City Centre and the Qurum Beach. Qurm Nature Reserve Qurum is the site of Qurm Nature Reserve, a national nature ...

(in the Capital area) and

Salalah Salalah ( ar, صَلَالَة, Ṣalālah) is the capital and largest city of the southern Omani governorate of Dhofar. Its population in 2009 was about 197,169. Salalah is the third-largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest city ...

Dhofar The Dhofar Governorate ( ar, مُحَافَظَة ظُفَار, Muḥāfaẓat Ẓufār) is the largest of the 11 Governorates in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of area. It lies in Southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen's Al Mahrah G ...

. In 1994 and 2005 there were attempted coups against the Sultan's rule and the ISS would have been instrumental in uncovering and investigating the plots. As of May 2013, Lieutenant General Said bin Ali bin Zahir al Hilali was appointed Head of the ISS – he had formerly been the assistant head of the agency. He was still in post as of November 2015. His former post was passed to Brigadier Ghosn bin Hilal bin Khalifa al Alawi (who was promoted to major general on assuming the post of Assistant Head ISS). Lieutenant General Said al Hilali's brother is the Sultanate's Public Prosecutor, who was reported in 2012 to be ready to use the law to restrict freedom of speech and association.

References

{{Domestic national intelligence agencies Law enforcement in Oman Domestic intelligence agencies National security

See also

References